Bova Korolevich is a literary hero. Heroes of Slavic mythology: Bova Korolevich

In a certain kingdom a sovereign was widowed: her sovereign died; and she had an heir. He was given the name Bova the King. She fell in love with her sovereign in another kingdom. So the sovereign answers her: “Bring down (destroy) you your son: I will love you. And if you don’t, I won’t!” She took him (her son), put him in a dark dungeon and locked him up, she herself went with her lover to the garden for a walk. The son looks out the window, saw it, and said: “Who is this walking around: a guest or a visitor? Why did my mother starve me to death?” Here she (mother) comes to the cooks, says: “Take you snake fat, bake a wheat pie. Let him eat, he will be torn apart now. The cook was baked and given to the nanny who went after him. “Take it, they say, to him!”

The nurse felt sorry for him, cut off a piece of bread and went to him. She opened the room, he saw that she was bringing him food; she's crying herself. He answers her: “My dear nanny! What are you crying about? Or do you feel sorry for me? - “Still, I wouldn’t feel sorry for you, I’ve been following you for 17 years. Your father was gone, and your mother wanted to kill you, put snake fat in a pie; eat my arzhan (black) bread, you will be healthier. He broke off the arzhan bread, began to eat and wept. “Ah, my dear mother! What is she doing to me!” - "She, she says, is not your mother, but a fierce snake." - “Well, my dear nanny, don’t close the doors behind you!” - “Your mother is a villain, she will kick me out; I can't live from her!" And he says: "I will go out into the light of God, I will not forget you." And all their bridges were lowered, so that there would be no passage on them; mother was afraid that he would leave. He jumped out of the dark dungeon and shouted: “Raise all the bridges!” Now the bridges have been raised; he ran across all the bridges. He ran to the sea and shouted: “Hey you, gentlemen shipbuilders! Take me to the other side!" They took him on a boat and put him on.

And his mother grabbed it, but he was gone. Now she sent a catch-up, they ran to the sea. The mother makes some noise: “Hey you, gentlemen shipbuilders! Give me back my son!" They say: "Let's give it back, we ate bread without him." And he tells them: “Give it back, try it! I will piss you all into the water ”(I will throw it). Well, they moved him to their side.

They brought him to their side and went to trade in goods, and they took him with them. The king sent a man to buy goods. This man stayed for three days. How many do not look at the goods, how many look at the boy: good, he plays the harp well. He sends a nanny. “Nanny, go and see: how long does a person go?” The nurse stood for six days; I didn’t look at the goods as much as at this boy: good, he plays the harp well. Here he sends his daughter: “Come, my daughter, see that they will not come for a long time?” The daughter went, stood for nine days. Good, she liked him: he plays the harp well. The sovereign was very angry: “Why are they missing? Let me go myself!” Comes. “What are you saying, are you not coming for a long time?” - “Yes, he says, their goods are good, but the boy is even better: he plays the harp well.” - “Well, when you like it, we will take it for ourselves!” They took this boy and put him to walk behind the horses.

The sovereign's daughter is looking at him from the window. Well, she liked him. “Oh, my dear papa. What kind of man have we assigned to walk behind the horses! Let’s better tell him to bring food!” - “When you, darling, like it, take it!” He brings her food; she asks him: “Boy, tell me, what kind are you?” - "I, he says, is a simple kind." She answers him: "No, she says, I see that you are not of a simple family." - "Well, - he answers, - I'm a simple kind." - "What is your name?" - "My name is Angusey!"

In a great state glorious city Gvidon lived in Anton. He once learned about the beautiful princess Militrisa and wooed her. Militrisa's father gave his consent. Three years later, the young had a son, and they named him Bova. But Militris had long been in love with King Dodon and dreamed of seeing him as her husband. She sends Gvidon to certain death, demanding to get her a wild boar, and in the meantime she opens the city gates and happily welcomes the new king, Dodon. Bova's uncle, Simbalda, tells the boy about his mother's deceit and offers to run away with him, since Bova is still very small and cannot avenge his father's death, and it is not safe for him to stay in the palace. But King Dodon learns of Simbalda's intention and, having gathered an army, chases after the fugitives. The uncle manages to escape from his pursuers, but the prince falls from his horse, and he is taken to the palace.

Dodon dreams nightmare in which Bova kills him. The frightened king asks Milithris to deal with his son. She orders to put Bova in prison, depriving her of food and drink. A few days later, the prisoner begged his mother to give him some food. Pouring poison into the dough, the queen sends cakes to Beauvais. The maid, passing them, warns the prince of danger and, opening the iron bolts, releases him to freedom.

Bova went aimlessly and ended up on the seashore. Bova saw the ship and shouted in a loud voice. From his exclamation, waves went through the sea, and the ship nearly capsized. Gosgi-shipmen sent sailors to find out what kind of unusual child was on the shore. Bova said that he was Ponomarev's son, and asked to join the ship. Shipbuilders cannot see enough of Bovina's beauty, they admire him, they are overjoyed.

A year and three months later they sail to the Army kingdom. Zenzevey Adarovich rules there. He saw Bova and immediately begged the shipbuilders to sell him this handsome man. So Bova became a groom. And he was seven years old. King Zenzeway had a daughter, Druzhnevna. She saw from her chorus Bova, from whose beauty the whole stable was lit up, and fell in love with the stranger. Once, King Markobrun arrived from the Zadonsk kingdom, and with him forty thousandth army. And he said to King Zenzeway: "Give your daughter for me for love, and if you don't give it for love, I will burn your kingdom." At the same time, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich and his son Lukoper, a glorious hero, who also wooed Druzhnevna, came to the Army kingdom from the Rakhlen kingdom.

And Zenzeway and Markobrun decided to unite their troops and go to battle with Lukoper. The bogatyr defeated two armies, and bound two kings and sent them to his father Saltan. Bova slept in a dead sleep for nine days and nine nights. Waking up, he learned from Druzhnevna about Lukoper and wanted to fight him. Druzhnevna gave Bove a good horse, armor and a sword. At parting, Bova confessed to the princess that he was not Ponomarev's son, but of the royal family. And Bova went to the cause of war and death. Five days and five nights he fought and defeated Lukoper and his army. Then he released Zenzewei and Markobrun from captivity.

Meanwhile, the butler, who did not like Bova, called thirty knights to him and ordered them to kill Bova, promising a generous reward for this. One of the knights offered the butler a different path: Zenzeway and the butler are very similar to each other, and this should be used. The butler wrote a letter on behalf of Zenzevey to Tsar Saltan, saying that the murderer of Lukoper was not he, but Bova, who would convey this message to him. The butler entered the royal chambers, put on a royal dress and sent for Bova. Bov did not recognize the butler, and he ordered him: "Serve me faithfully, go to the Rakhlen kingdom, take the letter to the king." And the unfortunate Bova came to Saltan and handed him the letter. The king shouted: “Oh, villain Bova, now you yourself have come to my death, I order you to hang immediately!”.

That Tsar Saltan had a daughter, Minchitriya. She threw herself at the feet of her father and exclaimed: “Already your son, but my brother cannot be returned, leave Bova alive! I will convert him to my Latin faith, and he will take me as his wife, our kingdom will protect from everyone. The king loved his daughter and fulfilled her request. But Bova answered her sweet speeches: “Although I may be hanged, I will not renounce the Christian faith.” The princess ordered to put Bova in prison and not feed him in the hope that he would change his mind. But five days later, Bova replied that he did not even want to hear about the Latin faith. Finding a sword in the corner of the dungeon, having dealt with the guards, he runs. He boards a ship and after a year and three months ends up in the Zadonsk kingdom.

There he learns that King Markobrun is marrying Druzhnevna. Bova put on the black dress of an old man and entered the palace. On the eve of the wedding, Druzhnevna distributed gold to the poor. The elder approached the princess and said: “Give me alms for brave knight Bows of the king's son. Druzhnevna's bowl of gold fell out of her hands. She began to ask the old man what he knew about Beauvais. She did not immediately recognize her lover, but guessing who was in front of her, she fell at the feet of Bove with the words: “My lord, the brave knight Bova prince! Don't leave me, we'll run away with you from Markobrun." Markobrun, waking up from his sleep, sent a chase after the fugitives. And Bova took the sword, jumped on a horse and beat the thirty thousandth army. And King Markobrun commanded to blow the horn and gather forty thousandth army. But the young warriors prayed: “Our sovereign! We can't take the bows, but only put our heads down. You have a strong hero, his name is Polkan, to the waist - dog legs, and from the waist - a man. He gallops seven miles and will be able to deliver Bova to you. And Bova heard that Polkan was riding. He took the sword, swung it, but the sword fell out of his hands and went halfway into the ground. And Polkan struck Bova with his club, and Bova fell. Polkan jumped on his horse and sped off. But Bova came to his senses and returned to Druzhnevna in the tent. Soon Polkan also rushed there. Druzhnevna reconciled them and asked to call each other brothers.

The three of them arrived in the city of Kostel. At the same time, Markobrun was there and began the siege of the city, demanding to give him Bova and Polkan. But the brave heroes defeated the army of Markobrun, and he left for his kingdom, vowing not to pursue Bova again. Druzhnevna soon gave birth to two sons, and Bova gave them names: Simbalda and Licharda. Suddenly, the governors of King Dodon arrived, who were ordered to deliver Bova to the sovereign. Bova instructs Polkan to help Druzhnevna and sets off. But Polkan was eaten by lions, and Druzhnevna came to the Rakhlensky kingdom. She washed herself with a black potion and became black as coal; she began to sew shirts at the widow’s farmstead, to earn bread. And Bova, not finding either his wife or his children, decided that they, like Polkan, had been eaten by lions.

Arriving in the Army Kingdom, the prince killed the butler who had once sent him to his death. In the Rakhlen kingdom, Princess Minchitriya again asks the prince to take her as his wife. And she agrees to be baptized. But once I heard Bova in the royal chambers, how two children sing a song about him. Druzhnevna went out to meet her children at the royal court, and Bova rushed to her. Bova with Druzhnevna and the children went to the city of Sumin, to uncle Simbalda.

The insidious Dodon Bova is severely wounded, and then, under the guise of a doctor, enters the palace and, avenging the death of his father, cuts off Dodon's head. He takes this trophy to Queen Militrissa. She orders the killer to be executed, but Bova asks her not to rush. And he ordered Bova to make a coffin, and buried his mother alive. And Bova went to the kingdom of Rahlen, and married his uncle's son to beautiful princess Minchitriya. And Bova went to his patrimony, and lived with his family, dashing to get rid of, but to make good.

In a certain kingdom, in a great state, in the glorious city of Anton, there lived a good king Gvidon.

And he learned that in the glorious city of Dementian, King Kirbit had a daughter, the beautiful Princess Milithris.

And he called his beloved servant Richard to him, handed him a letter and said: "Servant Richard! Serve me faithfully, go to the city of Dementian to the good and glorious King Kirbit to marry me."

And the servant Richard did not disobey his sovereign, accepted the letter, bowed, and went to the city of Dementian to the good and glorious King Kirbit.

And the servant Richard came to the city of Dementian, and delivered the letter to King Kirbit.

And the king went to the chambers of the beautiful Princess Militrisa with the words: “My daughter, Militrisa! An ambassador from King Gvidon has come to our city to woo you. And I cannot refuse him, because he will gather a lot of troops, our city will burn with fire and he will roll a brand, but he will take you by force.

And the beautiful Princess Militrisa fell on her knees in front of her father, saying: “My lord, the glorious father of King Kirbit! When I was young, Tsar Dodon wooed me. And you, my lord, did not give me to him. Give Gvidon for Tsar Dodon. Tsar Dodon will be the ruler of our city and protector from all countries."

And the glorious King Kirbit could not defend himself from the glorious King Gvidon and gave his daughter, his beautiful Princess Militrisa, for King Gvidon.

And King Guidon lived with her for three years, and gave birth to a son, a brave knight Bova prince.

And the beautiful Princess Militrisa called the servant and wrote a letter to King Dodon: "Good and glorious King Dodon! Come to the city of Anton, bring King Guidon out, and take me as your wife."

"And if you, servant Richard, disobey your empress, I will slander you before King Guidon, so that he orders you evil death execute".

And the servant Richard did not disobey his empress, he accepted the letter and went to Tsar Dodon.

And the servant Richard came to King Dodon, and entered the royal chambers, and laid the letter on the table in front of King Dodon.

And Tsar Dodon accepted the letter, and printed it out, and read it, and shook his head, and laughed: "Why does your sovereign embarrass me? She is married to King Gvidon and her son is the brave knight Bova the prince."

And the servant said: “Good sir, Tsar Dodon! Leave me here, order them to put me in prison and feed me enough. And yourself, sovereign, go to our city Anton.

And King Dodon rejoiced, and ordered to blow the horn. And he gathered troops of 37,000. They went under Anton and set up tents in the royal meadow.

And Militrisa saw them from her chamber, put on a precious dress, went to the royal chambers, and said: "Sir, my good king Gvidon, I am pregnant for the second time. I wanted wild boar meat. Kill the boar and feed me fresh meat."

And King Guidon was delighted, because he had not heard such speeches for three years from his beautiful princess Militrisa.

And the king ordered to saddle a horse, took a spear in his hands, and went to an open field to hunt for a wild boar.

And the beautiful princess Militris ordered the city gates to be opened and joyfully met Tsar Dodon. She took him by the white hands, kissed him kindly on the lips, and led him to the royal chambers. And they began to drink, eat and be merry.

And the brave knight Bova the prince, still a foolish child, went to the stable and hid under the manger. Bova had uncle Simbalt, he entered the stable, found Bova under the manger and said: “My lord, the brave knight Bova the prince! Your mother is a villain, the beautiful princess Militrisa. , the good and glorious King Guidon. And you are still a small child, you cannot avenge the death of your father. We run, sovereign, to the city of Sumin. That city is very strong. "

And Bova said to Uncle Simbalt: "My lord, Uncle Simbalt! I'm still a small child, I can't sit on a good horse and gallop at full speed." And uncle Simbalt saddled himself a good horse, and Bove a pacer, gathered thirty young men for himself and fled to the city of Sumin.

And there were traitors in the city, and they told King Dodon and the beautiful princess Militrisa that uncle Simbalt fled to Sumin and took the prince Bova with him.

And Tsar Dodon ordered to blow the horn, and gathered troops of 40,000, and chased Uncle Simbalt and Bovoy.

And the army caught up with Uncle Simbalt and Bova the prince. Uncle Simbalt looked around and saw the pursuit, and rushed off at full horse speed, and hid in the city of Sumine.

But Bova the prince could not ride away, and Bova fell from his horse to the ground. And they took Bova and brought him to Tsar Dodon.

And Tsar Dodon sent Bova to his mother, Princess Militrissa.

And King Dodon came near the city of Sumin, and set up royal tents in the meadow. And, resting in the tent, he had a very terrible dream, as if Bova the prince was riding on a good horse, holding a spear in his hand and piercing the heart of Tsar Dodon.

And Tsar Dodon called his brother to him, told his dream, and sent his brother to the city of Anton to the beautiful princess Militrisa, to tell about that dream and to Bova for that dream to put an evil death.

And the brother of Tsar Dodon went straight to the city of Anton, to tell a dream and ask the princess to give Bova to put him to death.

And Militrisa said: "I can put Bova to death myself. I will put him in prison and will not let him eat or drink, then he will die."

And King Dodon stood under Sumin for 6 months, and could not take the city of Sumin, and returned to the city of Anton.

And uncle Simbalt ordered to blow the horn, and gathered troops of 15,000, and went under the city of Anton. He began to beat the city wall relentlessly and shout, and ask for the extradition of the sovereign of his Prince Bova: "Don't give me my sovereign Bova the prince, I won't leave the city alive!"

And the beautiful Princess Militrisa said to King Dodon: "My lord, King Dodon. This villain will not give us peace day or night."

And King Dodon ordered to blow the horn, and gathered troops of 30,000, and drove uncle Simbalt.

And uncle Simbalt fled to the city of Sumin and closed tightly.

And Princess Milithris ordered Bova to be put in prison, covered with an iron board, covered with sand and not allowed to drink and eat for five days and five nights. And Beauvais, in his youth, really wants to eat.

And when the beautiful princess Militrisa passed through the royal court, Bova saw her from the dungeon and shouted in a loud voice: “My sovereign, my mother, the beautiful princess Milithris! Why don’t you, my empress, send me neither food nor drink? Starvation is already approaching me!”

And the beautiful princess Militrisa said: “My dear child, Bova the prince! Truly, I forgot you from grief. I grieve for your father, for my sovereign, good king Guidon. I will send you food and drink."

And the beautiful Princess Milithris entered the royal chambers and kneaded two loaves of bread with her own hands in snake venom. She baked two loaves of bread and sent with the girl to Bova in the dungeon.

And the girl, having come to the dungeon, ordered to shovel the sand and open the board.

And the girl entered the dungeon to Bova, wept and said: "Sir, the brave knight Bova the prince! Do not eat this bread, you will die. Your mother, and my sovereign, the beautiful princess Militrisa, kneaded this bread with snake venom."

And Bova took the loaf and threw it to the dog, and the other to the second dog. And as soon as the dogs ate the bread they were torn to pieces.

And Bova shed a tear: "Lord! Why did my empress mother want to betray me to an evil death?"

And the girl gave Bova her bread. And Bova ate. And the girl, coming out of the dungeon, did not close it and did not pull the iron board.

And Bova came out of the dungeon and fled through the city wall. He jumped off the wall and knocked off his legs, and lay outside the city for three days and three nights.

And Bova got up and went wherever his eyes looked. And Bova came to the seashore and saw a ship. And Bova shouted loudly, so that the waves rose on the sea, and the ship trembled.

And the sailors were surprised that such a small child could cry so loudly.

They sent a boat and ordered to ask whether he was of Christian or Tatar origin. And if Christian, then take him to the ship.

And Bova said: "I'm not a Tatar, but a Christian, a sexton's son, and my mother was a laundress."

And they took Bova on the ship. And the sailors asked him: "How your name?" And Bova said: "My name is Bova."

And Bova began to walk around the ship. And the shipbuilders are all surprised, they can’t see enough of Bovin’s beauty, he is very handsome.

And when Bova went to bed, they argued which of them he would serve.

And Bova woke up and said: “Do not quarrel over me. I will serve you according to the calculation: whoever saw me first on the shore, I will serve him until dinner, and whoever saw me after, that after dinner until evening.

And the sailors liked his words. They raised the anchors, raised the sails, sailed on the sea for three years and three months, and sailed to the Armenian kingdom. And in the Armenian kingdom there was a king Zenzevey Adarovich.

And the sailors threw the gangway ashore, but Bova remained on the ship.

And King Zenzevey Adarovich sent to ask what kind of ship he came from, where the guests came from and with what goods. The messengers, having come to the ship and saw Bova on the ship, could not see enough of its beauty and forgot to ask what kingdom the ship was from and what city the guests with goods were from.

And then King Zenzevey ordered to saddle the horse, he himself went to the ship and saw: a very handsome young man walks on the ship. And he forgot to ask himself where the ship was from. He began to ask the guests to sell the boy to him: "Guests-shipmen, sell me the boy, take 30 buckets of gold from me."

And the sailors said: "Sire King Zenzevey Adarovich! We cannot sell that boy to us, since he is our common worker." And King Zenzevey said to them: "And if he is your common worker, then sell him to me for 30 buckets of gold, and trade in my kingdom tax-free; and if you do not sell, then you will not leave my kingdom alive and henceforth past my kingdom your ships can't go."

And the guests-shipmen sold Bova, and took 30 buckets of gold for him.

And King Zenzevey Adarovich put Bova on a horse, and went to the Armenian kingdom, and began to ask Bova: "Bova, what kind are you, royal or royal?"

And Bova said: "My lord, Zenzevey Adarovich! I am not of royal or royal family, I am of Christian family, the son of a sexton, and my mother was a laundress."

And King Zenzeway said: "And if you, Bova, are of such a bad kind, then serve in my stable, you will be the head groom." And Bova bowed to his sovereign and went to the stable. And Bove was then seven years old.

And Bova began to serve at the stable. And that king Zenzevey Adarovich had a daughter, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna. And she saw from her choir Bova in the stable, and from his beauty the whole stable was lit up.

And the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna put on a precious dress and went to the royal chambers to her father.

And, having come, she said: “My lord, father, King Zenzevei Adarovich! There are many, sir, I have mothers and nannies, and red maidens, but there is not a single servant. Tomorrow, sir, I have a feast, and there is no one to serve at the table. Please , sir, give me that serf that you bought from the shipbuilders."

And King Zenzevei Adarovich loved his daughter. "My daughter, beautiful Princess Druzhnevna, be at your will." And he ordered to call Bova. And Bova went to the royal chamber, bowed to his sovereign. And King Zenzevei Adarovich said: "Bova! Tomorrow cook at Druzhnevna's, and distribute the dishes, and wait at the table. And also, Bova, listen to my order, be constantly at Druzhnevna's." And Bova bowed and went to the stable. And Druzhnevna bowed to her father and went to the back mansion.

And when the night passed and the day came, the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna sent the girl to the stable. The girl called Bova, he got dressed, went to the back mansion, and the beautiful princess Druzhnevna did not sit still in front of Bova and got up. And Bova said: "Madam, the beautiful princess! You are not doing well, you are standing up against me, you serf." And the princess was not offended by Bova.

And when the feast began, Bova brought a swan. And the beautiful princess was butchering the swan, and dropped the knife under the table. And she herself says: "Bova, give me a knife!" And Bova threw himself under the table. And the beautiful princess sank under the table, and did not take the knife, but took Bova by the head and kissed him on the mouth, and on the eyes, and on the ears. And Bova escaped, and again stood at the table, and began to scold his mistress: “Beautiful princess Druznevna! me to the stables with my comrades." And Bova went to the stables, and the beautiful princess Druzhnevna could not see enough of him after him.

And Bova, having come to the stable, went to bed, and slept for 5 days and 5 nights. The grooms could not wake him up, so they went to mow, and they mowed for Bova.

Bova got up and went to the mowers, met them, took his part of the hay and selected from it different colors, wove a wreath and put it on his head. And came to the stable. And the beautiful princess, seeing a wreath on Bova's head, sent the girl to the stable. And the girl called Bova to Druzhnevna.

Bova came to the rear mansions. And the beautiful princess could not sit still, stood up against Bova and said: "Bova, take off the wreath, put it on my head." And Bova said: "Madam beautiful Princess Druzhnevna! It is unsuitable for a serf from his head to put a wreath on your head with his own hands." And Druzhnevna said: “And if you don’t do as I said, then I will slander you before the father. And the father orders you to be executed with an evil death.” Bova took the wreath and threw it against the brick wall. And the princess raised the wreath, pressed it to her heart, and began to admire it, as if it were gold or pearl. And Bova went out of the ward, slammed the door, and a brick fell out of the wall and hurt Bova's head. The beautiful princess treated him with her medicines. And Bova came to the stable, and went to bed, and slept for 9 days and 9 nights.

And King Markobrun came from the Zadonsk kingdom, and with him troops of 40,000. He set up tents in the meadow and wrote a letter to King Zenzevei Adarovich: “Give your daughter for me with love, but if you don’t give it - I will burn your kingdom with fire and shake a brand, and your daughter I'll take it by force." And King Zenzevey Adarovich could not resist Markobrun, and met him at the city gates, and took him by the white hands, and kissed him on his sugary lips, and called him his beloved son-in-law. And they went to the royal chambers, and began to feast in joy.

And Markobrunov's domestics amused themselves outside the city on good horses. And Bova got up and heard a horse neighing. He went to the rear mansions and said: "Madam, the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna! What kind of noise and horse neighing is behind our kingdom?" And the beautiful princess said: “Bova, you sleep for a long time, you don’t know anything! King Markobrun came from the Zadonsk kingdom, and with him 40,000 troops, and besieged our kingdom. And my father could not defend himself, and met him at the city gates, and called him beloved son-in-law, and he is my husband." And Bova said: “Madam, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna! And the beautiful princess said: “You are still a small child, only seven years old, and you don’t know how to own a good horse, and gallop at full speed, and wave an iron mace.”

And Bova went to the stable, and saddled the pacer, and went out of town to Markobrunov's household to amuse himself. And he had neither a treasure sword nor a spear, he only took a broom with him. And the Markobrunov gentry laughed: "What kind of bl ... n son went out alone to amuse himself? What kind of honor is he?" And they began to run into Bova, five, six people each. Bova began to gallop and wave a broom, and Bova killed 15,000 people.

And the princess saw that Bova was galloping alone, and she felt sorry: they would kill him. And she put on a precious dress, and went to her father, and said: “My lord, father Zenzevey Adarovich! And Bova came to the stable, and went to bed, and slept for 9 days and 9 nights.

And at that time, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich and his son Lukomor, a glorious hero, came from the Rokhlen kingdom to the Armenian kingdom. His head is like a beer cauldron, and between his eyes - a span, and between his ears a red-hot arrow will lie, and between his shoulders - a measuring fathom. And there is no such strong and glorious hero throughout the universe. And they besieged the Armenian kingdom, and began to ask for the daughter of King Zenzevei, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna.

And King Zenzevey Adarovich said to King Markobrun: "My beloved son-in-law, King Markobrun! You have 40,000 troops, and I will gather 40,000. And we have two kings, and we have 40,000 troops each. Let's go against the strong hero Lukomor." And King Zenzevey Adarovich ordered to blow the horn, and gathered troops 40,000, and Markobrun 40,000. And two kings with two troops rode against the strong hero Lukomor. And Lukomor sent a spear at two kings with a blunt end, and knocked them down, and beat two troops. And having tied the kings, he sent them to the sea pier to his father, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich.

And Bova woke up, hearing a noise outside the city and a horse neighing. And Bova went to the back mansion to the beautiful princess Druzhnevna. And he went into the ward and asked Bov: "Madam, the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna! What is this noise and horse neighing outside the city?" And the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna said: “Sire Bova! You sleep long, you don’t know anything. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich and his son Lukomor, a glorious hero, came from the Rokhlen kingdom, a glorious hero. There is no such hero in the universe: his head is like a beer cauldron, and between his eyes - a span, and between the ears a red-hot arrow will fall, and between the shoulders - a measured fathom. And he has no enemy in all the sunflower. And he laid siege to our kingdom, and wrote to my father King Zenzevei Adarovich with great threats, and he wooed me. And my father and the king Markobrun were captured by him, he sent them to the marina to his father, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich.

And Bova said: "Madam, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna! I have nothing to ride against the strong hero Lukomor. I have neither a good heroic horse, nor strong armor, nor a treasure sword, nor a sharp spear." And the beautiful princess Druzhnevna said: “Sir Bova! You are still a small child and you cannot sit on a good horse and gallop at full speed. And I can’t help my father! ruler of the kingdom and protector from all countries." And Bova said: "It happens that the master buys a good slave, and the slave wants to earn his freedom. Yes, there is nothing for me to ride against the strong hero Lukomor: I have neither a good heroic horse, nor a fighting harness." And the beautiful princess Druzhnevna said: “The sovereign of my father has a good heroic horse: it stands on 12 chains, dug into the ground knee-deep, and behind 12 doors. And my father has in the treasury 30 armor of old heroes and a treasure sword.”

And Bova was delighted, and went to the stable, and the good heroic horse with 12 chains lost his way and is already breaking through the last doors. And Druzhnevna ran after Bova to the stable, and said: "Are there brave knights in the Armenian kingdom? Follow me to the stable!" And the good heroic horse hugged Bova with his front legs, and began to kiss him on the mouth like a man. Bova began to stroke the good horse of the heroic coat and soon calmed him down. And Druzhnevna sent to the treasury for heroic armor and a sword-treasury: 12 people carried it on a stretcher. And Bova was delighted, and wants to sit on a good heroic horse and go to the cause of war and death. And the beautiful princess Druzhnevna said: "My lord, Bova! You are going to the cause of war and death, either you will be alive or not, but you did not pray to God and did not say goodbye to me." And Bove liked those words, and he went to Druzhnevna's ward and prayed to God. And he said goodbye to Druzhnevna, and went to the cause of war and death.

And Druzhnevna saw Bova off. And she girded Bova with a treasure-sword with her own hands. And Bova sat on a good heroic horse, but he could not get into the stirrup with his foot. And the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna took Bovina's leg, and put it in the stirrup with her hands, and took Bova by the exuberant head, and kissed him on the mouth, and on the eyes, and on the ears. And the beautiful princess Druzhnevna said: “My lord, Bova! You are going to the cause of war and death, either you will be alive or not. And I don’t believe that you are a sexton. Tell me true truth your own, are you royal or royal?" And Bova said to the beautiful princess: "I'm going to the cause of war and death, either I will live or not. I will tell you the real truth. I’m not a Ponomariov kind, I’m a kind of royal, glorious King Gvidon’s son, but my mother, beautiful queen Militris, daughter of the good and glorious King Kirbit.

And that king Zenzevey Adarovich had a butler. And he began to dishonor his empress: “Madam, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna! Is it proper for you to gird your slave with your hands with a treasure-sword, and put your slave’s legs in a stirrup with your hands, and kiss your slave on the mouth, eyes and ears, and see off to a matter of war and death?" And Bova hit the butler with a blunt end of the spear, and the butler fell dead on the ground, and lay there for three hours, barely getting up.

And Bova went to the cause of war and death. And Bova jumped right over the city wall, and the glorious hero Lukomor saw that a brave knight jumped out of the Armenian kingdom through the city wall. And two strong heroes began to gather on the field. And Lukomor pointed a spear at Bova with a sharp end, and Bova at Lukomor with a sharp end. And two strong heroes struck among themselves with sharp spears, as if a strong thunder struck before a cloud. And Lukomor could not break through the armor of Bova, and Bova pierced the armor of Lukomor on both sides, and Lukomor fell off his horse dead.

And Bova began to beat the Lukomor army, and Bova fought for 5 days and 5 nights without a break. And he beat the troops of 100,000, only a few went to the sea pier to Tsar Saltan Saltanovich. And they said: "Sovereign, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich! A brave knight left the Armenian kingdom, and jumped on his horse right over the city wall, and killed your son Lukomor, and beat 100,000 troops. Soon he will be at the sea pier." And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich did not have time to take down the royal tents, jumped with a few people on the ship and fled to the Rokhlen kingdom.

And Bova came to the marina, and went into the tent, where two kings lay bound under a bench, King Zenzevei Adarovich and King Markobrun. And Bova unleashed both kings and put them on horses. And we went to the Armenian kingdom, and went to the Armenian kingdom for 3 days and 3 nights over human corpses, as soon as a good horse galloped in blood up to its knees.

And Bova said to his sovereign Zenzevei Adarovich and King Markobrun: "It happens that the sovereign buys a good slave, and the slave from his master earns his freedom." And King Markobrun said to King Zenzevei Adarovich: "I heard from old people, if the sovereign buys a good slave, and the slave from his sovereign serves free, that slave is rewarded and released." And King Zenzevey Adarovich said: "I heard from old people that such a slave should be rewarded and kept for himself." And two kings arrived in the Armenian kingdom, and went to the royal chambers, began to feast and have fun. And Bova went to the stable, and went to bed, and slept for 9 days and 9 nights.

And at that time, two kings, King Zenzevey Adarovich and King Markobrun went falconry. Then the butler called 30 brave knights to him and said: "Go, kill Bova in the sleepy stable, and I will give you a lot of gold and silver." Everyone wants profit. And 30 knights rushed to Bova at the stable, and Bova was fast asleep. And among those 30 there was one reasonable. And he said: “But we can’t kill Bova without waking up. And Bova wakes up, what will happen to us? Bova is a brave knight, he killed Bova the strong and glorious hero Lukomor and beat 100,000 troops. Let's go to the butler! The butler is like our sovereign king Zenzeveya Adarovich, will write a letter in the name of the king and send Bova to the Rokhlen kingdom, Bova is awake and will not notice the dirty trick. The butler liked the idea. And the butler went to the royal chamber, and wrote a letter on behalf of King Zenzevey to Tsar Saltan Saltanovich, so that Saltan Saltanovich "would not take offense at me, it was not I who killed Lukomor, your son and beat 100,000 troops. His name is Bova, and I sent him to you with his head mine to death."

And the butler sealed the letter, lay down himself on the king's bed, and covered himself with the king's blanket, and sent for Bova to the stable. And Bova came to the royal chamber, and did not recognize the butler. And the butler said on behalf of the royal: "Bova, serve me faithfully. Go to the Rokhlen kingdom, take my greetings to Tsar Saltan Saltanovich." And Bova accepted the letter, bowed, and went to the stable. And he did not saddle the good heroic horse, saddled Bov the pacer and went to the Rokhlen kingdom.

And Bova rides for 9 days and 9 nights, and does not come across a river or stream in his way, but Bova is very thirsty. And he saw Bova: from the road a mile away stands an oak, and under the oak stands a monk in a black cassock. Bova drove up to him and asked: "What is your name?" "My name is Pilgrim." And Bova said: "Give me what you drink yourself." And the old man gave him something to drink, and sprinkled him with a soporific potion. And Bova drank, and fell from his horse to the ground, and slept for 9 days and 9 nights. And the elder Pilgrim took away the treasure-sword from Bova, and took away the horse-pacer. And when Bova woke up, he no longer had a pacer horse or a treasurer sword. And Bova shed tears: "Lord! The old man offended me, took from me a good horse-pacer and a sword-treasurer, and the sovereign sent me to death." And Bova went where his eyes look. And the Lord directed the way to Bove.

And Bova came to the kingdom of Rokhlen, and entered the royal chambers, and laid the letter on the table. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich accepted the letter, printed it out and read it. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich shouted: “Oh, the villain Bova, you killed my son Lukomor and beat 100,000 troops. And now you yourself have come to my death, I can hang you! Do I have young men, brave knights? Take Bova and lead for hanging." And soon they set up the gallows, prepared the cauldrons, and 60 young men stood up, took Bova 30 young men under his right hand, and the other 30 young men under left hand and they led him to be hanged, and they brought him out into the field. And Bov saw the gallows and shed a tear: "Lord! Is it my fault, is it my untruth, why am I dying?" And God put Bova into the mind that Bova is a strong hero. And shook Bova right hand, and bruised 30 youths, and shook Bov with his left hand, and killed 30 other youths. And Bova fled from the kingdom of Rokhlen.

Tsar Saltan Saltanovich saw this and ordered to blow the horn, and gathered his court and 5 thousand, and chased Bova. And they caught up, and caught him, and brought him to Tsar Saltan Saltanovich. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich said as he blew a trumpet: "You, villain Bova, want to escape death. I can hang you!"

And that king Saltan had a daughter, the beautiful princess Minchitriya. And she put on precious dresses, and went to her father’s ward, and said: “My lord, father, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich! And you, sovereign father, give him to me, I will convert him to my Latin faith and to our god Akhmet, and he will take me as his wife, and he will be the ruler of our kingdom and protector from all countries. And Tsar Saltana loved his daughter, the beautiful Princess Minchitriya. And Tsar Saltan said: "My dear child, beautiful Princess Minchitriya, be at your will."

And Princess Minchitriya bowed to her father, took Bova to her mansions, fed and watered him and said: “Bova, forget your Orthodox Christian faith and believe in our god Akhmet, and take me as your wife, you will be the ruler of our kingdom and from all countries protector. And if you don’t believe in our faith, and don’t take me as your wife, my father can hang you or impale you.” And Bova said: "Even though I may be hanged or impaled, I do not believe in your faith, and I cannot forget my true faith." And Princess Minchitriya ordered to put Bova in a dungeon firmly, and to draw up an iron board, and cover it with sand, and did not allow Bova to drink and eat for 5 days and 5 nights.

And the beautiful princess Minchitriya put on a precious dress, and went to Bova in the dungeon, and ordered the sand to be removed and the iron board to be opened. And she went to Bova in the dungeon, and could not see enough of Bovin's beauty for three hours, and said: “Bova! Is it better for you to die of starvation, or be hanged, or be impaled? Believe in our faith, and forget your Christian faith and take me as your wife." - "Already starvation approaches me already. And even though I may be hanged, or impaled on a stake, I do not believe in your faith and cannot forget the Orthodox Christian faith.

And Princess Minchitriya did not allow Bova to drink or eat, and went to her father in the ward, and said: "My lord, my father, Tsar Saltan Saltanovich! I could not seduce Bova. Even hang him, even put him on a stake." And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich said: "Will I have 30 young men? Go to the dungeon, and take Bova, and bring him to me, I can hang Bova." And 30 young men stood up and went to Bove in the dungeon, and began to break the roof. And Bova twirled: "I don't have a treasure-sword, I have nothing to resist against 30 young men." And he saw Bov in the corner in the dungeon, the sword-treasurer, and took it, and rejoiced. And the young men began to go down to Beauvais in twos, and threes, and fives, and sixes. And Bova flogs them, and lays a ladder. And he cut all 30 young men, and laid them down with a ladder. And Tsar Saltan got angry with those young men: "They came in, damn ... we children, but they are talking with Bova." And he sent another 30 young men, and ordered Bova to bring immediately. And 30 young men went and began to go down to Bova in the dungeon. And Bova flogs, and lays a ladder. And Bova came out of the dungeon, and fled from the kingdom of Rokhlen. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich ordered to blow the horn, and gathered an army of 30,000 and chased Bova.

And Bova ran to the sea pier, and saw Bova the ship, and jumped on the ship, rolled away from the shore. And Tsar Saltan Saltanovich shouted in a loud voice: “Guest shipbuilders, hand over from the ship my traitor, who left my dungeon, his name is Bova. my kingdom do not trade." And the shipbuilders want to get Bova off the ship. Bova took out a treasure sword from his bosom and beat the peasants, but threw them into the sea. And those who remained on the ship said: "Sire, brave knight, you cannot destroy us, we will take you, sovereign, where you need to go."

And they raised the sails, and sailed on the sea for a year and three months, and came under the kingdom of Zadonsk, and saw three golden-domed towers, and they were carried by a storm from the path for 100 miles. And Bova ordered the sails to be lowered and anchors to be thrown. And Bova began to walk around the ship and look in all directions. And I saw a fisherman on the edge of the sea. And Bova shouted in a loud voice: "Please, fisherman, do not disobey, drive up to the ship!" And the fisherman did not disobey, he came, and Bova began to ask the fisherman: "Please, fisherman, tell me, is the kingdom here or the horde, or does the king live?" And the fisherman said: "Sire shipbuilder, this is our kingdom of Zadonsk, and our sovereign king Markobrun lives here." And he remembered Bova, and said: "Isn't this the same king Markobrun, who in the Armenian kingdom was wooed by King Zenzevey Adarovich to the beautiful princess Druzhnevna?" And the fisherman said: “Sir, the shipbuilder, that one. And Princess Druzhnevna begged for a year of respite from our sovereign, King Markobrun. And the fisherman Beauvais sprinkled sand to his heart.

And Bova said to the fisherman: "Please, fisherman, sell the fish." And the fisherman threw five sturgeons onto the ship: "Here, sir, you have fish without sale." And Bova took gold and silver, and covered silk and velvet, and threw it into the boat to the fisherman. And the fisherman said to Bove: "Sir shipbuilder, you gave me a lot of good, not to drink, not to eat either my children or grandchildren." And Bova said, "Please, fisherman, take me ashore." And the fisherman did not disobey, took Bova into the boat and brought him to the shore. And Bova punished the shipbuilders: "Take the whole ship with good. Divide it in half, and don't swear and don't fight."

And Bova went to the kingdom of Zadonsk, and Bova went 5 days and 5 nights, and found the old man Pilgrim, who robbed him, and took from him a treasure-sword and a good pacer horse. And Bov Pilgrim began to beat. And the Pilgrim begged: "Don't kill me, brave knight Bova the prince! I'll give you a good horse-pacer and a sword-treasurer and I'll give you three potions: a sleep potion, a white potion, and a black potion." And Bova took three potions, and a treasure sword, and went.

Bova goes 6 days to the Zadonsk kingdom. And I saw Bova the old man - he collects chips on the street. And Bova said to the old man: "Give me black dress and take my bright one." And the elder said: "Sir, brave knight, my dress will not be useful to you, but I do not need yours: they will not give alms." And he put on Bova a black dress, and went to the royal court, and came to the kitchen, and the cooks are preparing food.

And Bova began to ask: "Sires of the royal cooks, drink and feed the passerby old man for the sake of Christ and for the sake of the brave knight Bova the prince." And the cooks shouted: "Oh, old villain, why are you asking for alms for Bova? Our sovereign has commanded: whoever remembers Bova, be executed without the king's knowledge." And the cook rushed, snatched a brand from under the cauldron and hit the old man, but the elder did not move on the spot, but grabbed the same brand, hit the cook and bruised him to death.

And the cooks ran to the butler: "Butler, go to the kitchen. The old man came to the kitchen and best chef killed. "And the butler came to the kitchen, and began to ask the cooks:" What happened to the old man with the cook? do you, old man, remember Bova? Our sovereign has a strong commandment: whoever remembers Bova, he orders him to be killed without his knowledge. "And Bova said:" Sovereign butler, do not tell me, an old man, to kill, I am a passerby old man, and I have not heard your commandments. "And the butler said : "Go, old man, to the backyard, where Princess Druzhnevna endows the poor with gold. Tomorrow our sovereign will have joy: our sovereign, King Markobrun, will marry the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna.

And the old man went to the backyard, and in the backyard there were a great many beggars. And the old man began to crowd among the poor, and the poor did not give the old man a way, and began to beat the old man with sticks. And the old man began to push the poor on both sides, and behind the old man many dead lay. And the beggars began to let the old man in. And the elder reached the beautiful princess Druzhnevna, and the elder shouted in a loud voice: “Madam beautiful princess Druzhnevna! Give me, the elder, alms for the sake of Christ and for the sake of the brave knight Bova the prince.” Druzhnevna's cup of gold fell out of her hands. And the good heroic horse heard the rider of his brave knight Bova the prince, and began to neigh in the stable, and the city trembled from the horse neighing.

And Princess Druzhnevna said: "Come, nannies, give gold to the poor." And she herself took the elder and went to the back mansions and began to ask: "Elder, why are you asking for alms for Bova? Where did you hear about the sovereign of my brave knight Bova Prince?" And the elder said: "Madam Princess! I was in the same dungeon with Bova in the Rokhlen kingdom, Bova and I walked the same road. Bova went to the left, and I went to the right." And the old man said: "Madam Princess Druzhnevna, and if Bova comes today, what will you do with him?" And the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna shed a tear. “If,” he says, “I found out that Emperor Bova in distant kingdom in the thirtieth land, I would go there to him!

And at that time, King Markobrun came to the beautiful princess Druzhnevna, he saw that the old man was sitting, and Druzhnevna was standing in front of the old man. And King Markobrun said: "What are you, Druzhnevna, standing in front of the old man, and tears are dripping down your face?" And Princess Druzhnevna said: "My lord, King Markobrun, how can I not cry? This old man from our Armenian kingdom came and said: my father and mother are dead. And I cry for them." And King Markobrun said: “Madam, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna! You can’t help your father and your mother already. And you grieve, you only break your life. strikes, there will be many dead in the city." And the old man said: "Sovereign King Markobrun! I will calm the good horse, so that a three-year-old baby can ride on it." And King Markobrun said to the old man: "If you, old man, calm the horse, I will take pity on you, I will give you a lot of gold."

And the elder went to the stable, and Druzhnevna followed the elder. And the good heroic horse heard its rider, and broke through the last doors, and stood on its hind legs, and embraced the old man with its front legs, began to kiss him on the mouth like a man. And King Markobrun saw this, went into the chamber and locked himself: if the horse broke through the last doors and crushed the old man, then there will be many victims in the city.

And the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna said: "How did you quickly calm him down, old man?" And the elder said: “Madam, the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna! And I myself am surprised that the good horse soon recognized me, and you will not recognize me for a long time. And I am the real Prince Bova himself.” And Druzhnevna said to the elder: "Why are you embarrassing me, old man? Sovereign Bova was very handsome, Bova's beauty would have illuminated the whole stable." And the old man took out a treasurer’s sword from his bosom, and Druzhnevna pressed the sword to her heart: “Indeed, this is the sword of my sovereign Bova the prince! And you, old man, are black and foolish. sword. If my sovereign Bova the prince had this sword, he would know how to use it. And my sovereign Bova also had a wound on his head, the size of a finger. When he served in the Armenian kingdom with the sovereign of my father Zenzevey Adarovich, came out of the ward and slammed the doors, and a brick fell from above, and bruised his head. I treated Bova with my own hands and I know this wound.". And the elder removed the cap from his head and showed the wound. And Druzhnevna examined the wound and kissed it: "The real wound of my sovereign Bova, and you are an old man, bad and black." And the elder said: "I am the real Prince Bova. And you, Druzhnevna, tell me to bring water, I will wash myself with a white potion."

And Druzhnevna herself ran for the water, and brought water in a silver washstand. And Bova washed himself with a white potion, and lit up the whole stable. And Druzhnevna fell at the feet of Bova and said: "My lord, the brave knight Bova the prince! Do not leave me, we are fleeing together from King Markobrun." And Bova said: "And you, Druzhnevna, go to King Markobrun, give him a drink, and pour a sleeping potion into a goblet. He will sleep for 9 days and 9 nights, and in the meantime we will run away." And Bova gave a sleeping potion, and Druzhnevna took the potion, and wrapped it by the sleeve, and went to her mansions, and put on a precious dress, and went to the royal chamber, and said: “My lord King Markobrun! Tomorrow we have with you there will be joy: you, sovereign, take me as your wife. Come on, my sovereign, let's drink a goblet of honey with you so that I don’t grieve for my father and mother.

And King Markobrun loved Druzhnevna. And ordered to bring quickly strong honey and the young men soon brought it. And Druzhnevna secretly poured a soporific potion from her sleeve and brought it to King Markobrun. And the king, in his kindness, offered her the first drink. And Druzhnevna began to humiliate herself before him: “My lord, King Markobrun! It’s not good for me to drink a slave girl before you. And King Markobrun drank the goblet of mead and fell asleep. And Princess Druzhnevna ran to Bova at the stable and said: "My lord, the brave knight Bova the prince, King Markobrun is fast asleep."

And Bova saddled for himself a good heroic horse, and for Druzhnevna a pacer. And Druzhnevna took 2 camp tents from the treasury, and Bova fastened them. And they went from the Zadonsk kingdom. And Bova rode with Druzhnevna for 9 days and 9 nights. Bov set up white tents in the field and hobbled his horses. And he went with Druzhnevna to the tent and copulated with her. And King Markobrun woke up and saw that he no longer had either the beautiful princess Druzhnevna or the good heroic horse. And King Markobrun said: "It was not an old man-villain, but it was Bova the prince himself. The villain stole the beautiful princess Druzhnevna and the good heroic horse from me." And he ordered to blow the horn, and gathered troops of 30,000, and sent for Bova and Druzhnevna.

And Bova went out of the tent to cool off. And<...>when Bova heard the horse top and people's talk, and went into the tent, and said: "Lady beautiful princess Druzhnevna! There are few people with us: be chased by King Markobrun." And the beautiful princess Druzhnevna said: "My sovereign, gentle, brave knight Bova the prince! And if they catch us, we will already die from King Markobrun." And Bova said: "Lady, the beautiful Princess Druzhnevna! Pray to God, God is with us."

And Bova took the sword-treasurer, and sat on a good horse without a saddle, and rode towards the pursuit, and beat the pursuit of 30,000, only left three people, punished, and let him go to King Markobrun: “What King Markobrun sends for me, only the army loses "But does he know that I am a strong bogatyr, the brave knight Bova Prince? I killed the strong bogatyr Lukomor and defeated 100,000 troops." And three people came to King Markobrun and said: "Sovereign King Markobrun! Bova beat the whole army, but let the three of us go and did not order to chase him."

And King Markobrun ordered the horn to be blown, and gathered an army of 40,000, and sent for Bova and Druzhnevna. And those young men said: “Our sovereign, King Markobrun! Why should we go after Bova? We can’t take him, just lay our heads down. a common person, and he jumps seven miles. He can catch up with Bova and catch him. And he sits in your dungeon behind 30 locks and 30 bolts. "And King Markobrun ordered Polkan to be released from the dungeon, and sent for Bova. And Polkan began to gallop seven miles.

And Bova came out of the tent. And Bova heard that Polkan the hero was galloping. And Bova took the sword, and sat on a good horse without a saddle, and rode towards the strong hero Polkan. And as two strong heroes gathered, and Bova waved his sword at Polkan, Bova's sword escaped from his hands and went halfway into the ground. And Polkan hit Bova with his club, and Bova fell from his horse to the ground, dead. And Polkan jumped on Bovin's horse, and the good horse Bovin sensed Polkan, and bit the mouthpiece, and began to carry him through the forests and ravines, and through the bushes, and skinned his legs to the waist, and the meat to the bones.

And Bova lay unconscious for three hours, and got up as if nothing had happened, and came to Druzhnevna, and lay down on the bed. And the good horse tormented Polkan, and rushed to the tent. And Polkan fell to the ground. Druzhnevna came out of the tent and said: "Brother Polkan, make peace with Bova, and you will have no opponent in this world." And Bova said: "I am glad to make peace with Polkan, and if Polkan does not make peace, I will kill him." And Bova reconciled with Polkan. Polkan Bovu took his white hands and kissed him on the mouth, and called him his elder brother.

And Bova sat on a good horse, and Druzhnevna on a pacer, and Polkan galloped after them. And they arrived in the city of Kostel, and in that city there was neither a king nor a king, only a townsman peasant, and his name was Orel. And Bova the prince and Polkan stayed with him, and Bova and Druznevna went to bed. In the meantime, King Markobrun came near the city of Kostel and 50,000 troops with him, and besieged Kostel-grad, and began to write letters to Orel, asking him to give Bova and Polkan to him: “And if you don’t extradite my traitors from the city, I will burn your city of Kostel with fire and shake my head!" And the townsman peasant ordered the peasants to gather in the Zemstvo hut. And the peasants gathered, and the mayor Orel came to the zemstvo hut and said to the peasants: "We will go against King Markobrun! And I will go myself, and I will take my two sons with me." And the peasants gathered, and rode out against King Markobrun. And King Markobrun took the peasant with the children prisoner, released Orel, and left his sons hostage, ordered to extradite Bova, and Polkan, and the beautiful princess Druzhnevna from the city.

And the peasant came to the city, and ordered the peasants to gather in the Zemstvo hut. And soon the peasants gathered in the zemstvo hut, the peasant-posadnik stood in front of them and asked: "Shall we extradite visitors from the city or not?" And Orel's wife stepped forward and said: "We can't extradite people who come from the city, let alone help our children." And the peasant Eagle said: "Women have long hair, but the mind is short." And the men decided to give Bova out of the city.

And Polkan went to Bova: "Brother Bova, you sleep for a long time, you don't know anything: the peasants want to extradite us from the city." And Bova said: "Villainous men, what a bad idea! It will be bad for them too!" And Bova jumped off the bed and threw a fur coat over his shoulders. And he took a treasure sword under his bosom, and went to the zemstvo hut, and began to chop down the peasants from the door to the red corner. He chopped up the peasants and threw them away, and Orlov's wife ran from the stove and said: "Sir, brave knight, do not ruin my bitter widow!" And Bova said: "Mother Empress, do not be afraid. Give me a deadline until the morning, I will free your children." And Bova and Polkan rode out against King Markobrun, and Bova rode on the right, and Polkan on the left. And they began to beat the Markobrunovo army, as the cattle were driven away and the Orlov children were released.

And King Markobrun went to the Zadonsk kingdom with a few people. And he took an oath to himself, they say, not to chase after Bova neither his children, nor grandchildren, nor great-grandchildren. And Bova came to the city of Kostel to Orlov's wife: "Here, Empress Mother, your children." And he began to kiss the cross of the peasants, and he went from the city of Kostel with the beautiful Queen Druzhnevna, and Polkan galloped after them on foot.

And on the way, Druzhnevna said: "My lord, the brave knight Bova the prince! The time is already coming for me, as good wives give birth to children." And Bova set up tents, and said to Bova Polkan: "Brother Polkan, stay away. Druznevna is not feeling well with me." And Polkan moved away, and stood under the oak. And Druzhnevna gave birth to two sons, and Bova named them one Simbalt, and the other Richard. And Polkan woke up and heard a horse top and people's talk. And Polkan came to Bovin's tent, and Polkan said: "Brother Bova! A great army is coming, I don't know, the king or the king. Will you go to scout yourself or will you send me?" And Bova said: "Come on, but I can't do it now: Druzhnevna gave birth to two sons - Simbalt and Richard." And Polkan galloped, and he grabbed a lot of people, and tied them in a bunch, and led them to Bove.

And Bova began to ask tongues: "Tell me, kind people, which kingdom is the army? Is the king coming or is the king coming?" And the tongues began to say: "Sir, brave knight! Go, sovereign, governors from our sovereign, Tsar Dodon, to the Armenian kingdom. They say that in the Armenian kingdom, King Zenzevey Adarovich is under the care of Prince Bova. And Tsar Dodon ordered him, Bov, to take him and bring him to his kingdom. "And Bova's heroic heart flared up, and could not stand Bov, and put them to death. And he saddled his good heroic horse, and took with him a treasure-sword , and Bova began to punish his brother Polkan: "My brother, Polkan! Do not leave my Druzhnevna and my two children. And I will go to the Armenian kingdom for military work, but you yourself, brother, do not go near the forest. ”And Bova said goodbye to Polkan, and to Druzhnevna, and with his children, and Bova went to military work.

And after that Polkan went to the forest to sleep, and at the same time the lions came to the sleepy Polkan, and the hero of that Polkan ate everything, only the soles of his feet were left. And when Druzhnevna came out of her tent and looked under the oak, and there only her feet lay. And Druzhnevna was very sad about him, and took her children by the bosom, sat on the pacer, and rode aimlessly.

And Druzhnevna arrived near the Armenian kingdom, and took with her only one whip, and let her good horse-pacer into the open field and said: "Go, my good horse-pacer, look for an affectionate owner." And Druzhnevna came to the river, and washed herself with a black potion, and became black as coal. And Druzhnevna came to the Rokhlen kingdom, and settled with the widow. And in the Rokhlen kingdom - Princess Minchitriya. And Druzhnevna began to sew shirts for good wives, and that was how she fed herself with her children.

And Bova the prince beat the enemy force, and came to the tent, but there was neither Princess Druzhnevna nor his children in the tent. And Bova looked under the oak, only Polkan's feet lay there. And Bova began to grieve: "If the lions ate such a strong hero, then both Druzhnevna and my children." And he buried Bova Polkanov's feet, and he himself wept bitterly: "Lord! You gave me a wife after my heart, and did not let me live with her from youth to old age." And Bova went to the creek to hunt, and shot geese and swans, and cooked Bova food and was satisfied. Yes, and Bova went to the Armenian kingdom to kill the butler, who once sent him to his death.

And Bova arrived in the Armenian kingdom on Sunday, and King Zenzevei Adarovich was standing in the church. And when the king left the church, Bova bowed to him. And King Zenzevei Adarovich asked: "What is your name, and what city are you from, and where are you going?" And Bova said: "My name is August, I am looking for a gentle sovereign, so that I can take a nap." And the king said: "I need such people. Please, Augustus, serve me." And Augustus bowed, and went to the king's court, and killed the butler.

And ambassadors from the Rokhlen kingdom arrived. And August turned up to the ambassadors, and began to ask: "What country did the ambassadors come to and why?" And the ambassadors said: "We, sovereign, have come from the kingdom of Rokhlen to visit about the brave knight Bova the prince. Princess Minchitriya sent us, but she wants to marry Bova." And Augustus said: "Go, ambassadors, to the kingdom of Rokhlen, and Bova will be with you." And Bova went to the Rokhlen kingdom.

And Bova came to the Rokhlen kingdom, and entered the royal court without a report. And the beautiful princess Minchitriya met Bova, and took Bova to the royal chambers, and they began to drink, eat and have fun. And princess Minchitriya said: “Sovereign, brave knight Bova the prince! Baptize me, sovereign, and take me as your wife, and be the ruler of our kingdom and protector from all countries. And Bova baptized Minchitriya, and agreed to postpone the wedding until Sunday.

And Druzhnevna's children have already grown up. Simbalt plays the harp, and Richard plays the domra. And Druzhnevna began to send her children to the royal court: "Go, children, to the royal court, and they will take you to the royal chamber, and you play good tunes and sing in every song the good knight Bova the prince." And Bovina's children went to the royal court and to the royal chambers, and sang of the prince's Bova. And Bova said: "Why are you singing like that about Bova the prince? I have been living for many years, but I have not heard of Bova the prince." And Bovina's children said: "We sing about our sovereign father Bova the king, and our sovereign mother, the beautiful princess Druzhnevna, ordered us." And Bova ordered them to drink and feed, and gave them a lot of gold and silver, one can hardly convey, and he himself went after them, not taking his eyes off. And Bovina's children came to the yard, and their mother meets them: "Come, children!", And takes them by the white hands, and kisses them on the mouth. Bova saw that a bad and black woman was meeting them, spat, and went away: “Bless ... we are de-children, they said that their mother was Druzhnevna, and this woman is bad and black as coal.”

And when the night passed and the day came, Druzhnevna again sent the children to the royal court. And Bovina's children came to the royal chambers, and began to play good melodies and sang of Bova the prince. And Bova ordered them to drink and feed, and gave them a lot of gold, and more silver, and went after them. And Princess Druzhnevna washed herself with a white potion and went out to meet her children. And Bova saw Druzhnevna and ran into the yard. And he grabs Druzhnevna by her white hands and kisses her on her sugary lips. And Druzhnevna fell at his feet: "My lord, the brave knight Bova prince! Do not leave me and your children!"

And Bova took Druzhnevna and his children, and went to the stable, and chose good pacers for Druzhnevna and his children. And princess Minchitriya fell at Bova's feet and said: "Sovereign brave knight Bova prince! If you did not take me for yourself, I will be your hostage." And Bova said: "Well, if you become my hostage, neither the king nor the king will offend you, hearing my threat, the brave knight Bova the prince." And Bova went with Druzhnevna and with his children to the city of Sumin to uncle Simbalt.

And uncle Simbalt met the visiting man Augustus, and took him the yard. And the next day, uncle Simbalt arranged a feast in honor of the visiting man Augustus. And Augustus came to the feast, and uncle Simbalt ordered to give him a place. And when everyone rejoiced, Augustus said: "Sir, uncle Simbalt! Who lives next to you, and is there any offense?" And uncle Simbalt said: “Yes, sir! The villain Tsar Dodon lives near me. He, the villain, killed my sovereign, the good and glorious King Gvidon, and all the years drives away the cattle from the city, I can’t stand against him.” And Augustus said: "I can avenge this offense. Gather an army as much as you can." And uncle Simbalt ordered to blow a horn, and gathered troops of 15,000. And Augustus went as governor, and took with him uncle's son named Dmitry. And Anton came near the city, and drove away the cattle, and set fire to the settlements. And where King Guidon lies, and there is a pillar over the grave, Augustus went to say goodbye for three days, and he himself wept bitterly. And King Dodon saw that few people came under the city and drove away the cattle, and set fire to the settlements. And he ordered the horn to be blown, and gathered an army of 40,000, and went out against Augustus.

And Augustus, like cattle, drove the army away from the city, and struck King Dodon with a spear and wounded him in the heart. And August went to the city of Sumin, and uncle Simbalt ordered to ring the bells for joy and serve prayers, and took August to him. And uncle's son Dmitry told his father that Augustus went to the grave for three days to say goodbye and weep bitterly: "Isn't it our sovereign, our brave knight Bova Prince?" And uncle Simbalt said: "Our sovereign Bova the prince was very handsome, and it was impossible to sit still because of his beauty." And Bova heard those speeches, and went out onto the porch, and washed himself with a white potion, and entered the ward. And he lit up the whole chamber of Bov with his beauty. And uncle Simbalt fell at his feet: "My lord, the brave knight Bova prince! Avenge the death of your father!"

And the ambassador came from the city of Anton to the city of Sumin, to ask the doctor. Bova washed himself with a black potion and called himself a doctor: "I can cure your king Dodon from a heart wound." And he took Bova with him uncle's son Dmitry, and went to the city of Anton to treat Dodon. And the ambassador came and informed Tsar Dodon: "Sir Tsar Dodon, I brought you a doctor from Sumina-grad." And Tsar Dodon ordered the doctor to go into the ward, where there were many princes and boyars. And the doctor said: "Sovereign Tsar Dodon! This is a difficult matter; so that there was no one in the ward!"

And Tsar Dodon sent everyone from the chamber, and Bova locked the chamber, and put uncle's son at the hook. And Bova took out a treasure sword from his bosom, and said to King Dodon: “I wouldn’t cut off your head for that, because you exhausted my good and glorious father Gvidon. And I’ll cut off your head for obeying the female mind” . And Bova cut off the head of King Dodon, and put it on a dish and covered it with a towel.

And Bova went to the back mansion to the beautiful princess Militrisa, and said: "Here, madam, gifts from Tsar Dodon. I cured your Tsar Dodon from a heart wound." And Princess Militrisa accepted the gifts, and opened them, and there Dodonov's head lies on a platter. And she cried out: "Oh, the villain-doctor, what are you doing? I will order you to be executed with an evil death!" And Bova said: "Stop, take your time, madam, you are my mother!" And the beautiful princess Militrisa said: "Oh, the villain-doctor! Bova the prince was very handsome, his beauty would have illuminated the whole ward, and you, the doctor, are bad and black as coal."

And Bova went out onto the porch, and washed himself with a white potion, and entered the ward, and lit up the whole ward with Bova's beauty. And the beautiful Princess Milithris fell at the feet of Bove. And Bova said: "My sovereign mother, do not humble yourself before me!" And he ordered Bova to make a coffin, put his living mother in the coffin and decorated the coffin with silk and velvet. Bova buried his mother alive and ordered everyone to commemorate.

And Bova went to the dungeon, where he had previously been sitting, and there that girl was sitting in the dungeon in Bova's place. And Bova broke the dungeon, and released the girl, and that girl's hair grew to her toes. And the girl said: "My lord, the brave knight Bova the prince! I have been sitting in a dungeon since I released you, sovereign, from the dungeon." And Bova said to the girl: "Madam girl, you have suffered trouble, and now rejoice." And he chose the prince, and gave the maiden to the prince in marriage. And Bova went to the Rokhlen kingdom, and married his uncle's son Dmitry to the beautiful princess Minchitriya.

And Bova went to his home, and began to live with Druzhnevna, and with his children, and make good things. And the glory of Bove will not pass away forever.

Bova Korolevich, aka Bova Gvidonovich, aka Bueve, aka Bovo from Anton (Buovo d'Antona). Today, this name (names) is unlikely to say anything even to fans of Russian folklore.

And just a century ago, Bova Korolevich was one of the most "cult" characters, who in terms of popularity among the people far outstripped other "epic" heroes Ilia Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich.

Lubok tales about the "extraordinary hero" came out in hundreds of editions from the 18th to the 20th centuries. It was the Batman of its time. Arina Rodionovna read the tale of Bova Korolevich to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The poet will then write "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", partially borrowing the plot and the names of the heroes of this poem. Moreover, Alexander Sergeevich will even make sketches of the poem "Bova", but death will prevent him from finishing the work.

French ancestry

Bova Korolevich was not only the most popular hero of the Russian folk literature but also the most mysterious. So, unlike the "home-grown" Ilya Muromets and Dobrynya Nikitich, Bova Gvidonovich had a "foreign" origin. The prototype of this knight was french knight Bovo de Anton from the famous chronicle poem Reali di Francia, written as far back as the 14th century.

Main secret, in what ways the French knight got to Russia and became a popularly beloved hero here. And among common people who had never even heard of the existence of France and courtly knights. Interestingly, the Russian version of the chivalric novel has undergone minor changes in the plot. Of the characters, only the hero Polkan was added. The names of the heroes have been changed slightly. Duke Guido became King Guidon, the beloved of the knight Druzinian turned into Druzhevna, and so on. Many French heroes received rather bizarre middle names in the Russian version.

The Incredible Adventures of Bova Korolevich

The plot of the tale is as follows: Bova Korolevich runs away from the house from the evil mother of Militrisa Kirbityevna and stepfather of King Dodon. Fate leads him to King Zenziviy Andronovich, where the hero falls in love with his daughter Druzhevna. In honor of her, he performs miracles of courage, defeats one whole army of contenders for the hand of Druzhevna - kings Markobrun and Lukoper Saltanovich. Thanks to the intrigues of one envious courtier, Bova Korolevich gets into a series of dangerous adventures, escapes only thanks to his courage, the treasure-sword and the heroic horse, on which no one except Bova dares to sit down.

In the tale, Bova acts as a zealous champion Orthodox Faith. Even when death threatens him, he does not want to renounce Orthodoxy and believe in "the Latin faith and the God of Akhmet." In the end, Bova frees Druzhevna from Markobrun and marries her. After his marriage, he goes to take revenge on King Dodon for the murder of his father; at this time, Druzhevna is hiding with the daughter of King Saltan, Minchitrisa. Bove, having decided that his wife is dead, is going to marry Minchitrisa, whom he converted to Christianity. But Druzhevna turns out to be alive, Bova returns to her and her two sons, while Minchitrisa marries Licharda's son, Bova's faithful servant.

disappearance

Probably, with some adaptation, Bova the King could compete today with fantasy bestsellers like The Lord of the Rings. But after the revolution, the knight-hero also mysteriously disappeared from folk epic, as it appeared in due time. This is very strange, because no one forbade Bova Gvidonovich. Why, then, at one fine moment, in the villages and towns, they suddenly stopped retelling his incredible adventures?

One of the most fantastic versions says that Bova Gvidonovich was brought and popularized in Russia by the legendary ofen. It was they who originally translated the French romance into a Russian lubok and smashed across the country. Allegedly, the "Russified" plot of the tale contained some secret knowledge Russian peddlers. After the revolution, probably, the spread of this "Ofen Kabbalah" lost its relevance, so Bova Korolevich quietly disappeared into the new information flows.