Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen. They did not have children. Once, while the queen was sewing she pricked herself and it started to bleed. A drop of blood fell on the snow. The blood was red, the snow was white. She started to imagine:
‘What a nice colour! I wish I had such a child – white and red!’
The king came home and saw his wife was sad.
‘What’s the matter?’ – he asked.
‘I pricked myself while I was sewing and blood fell on the snow. But it is not the pain that makes me sad. It was so beautiful that I was dreaming for a child.’
‘Do not be sad about this. Tomorrow I will go to search for a cure for children.’
The king went on the next morning. He stopped to water his horse near the fountain of a village. He was looking at it when a saint appeared.
‘Welcome, Your Majesty! – the saint said. – How are you and what reason brought you here?’
‘If you know that I am a king so you are not just a stranger. Maybe you are the one who can help me!’ – the king said with a hope.
‘Tell me what is bothering you, I might help you!’
‘I am looking for a cure for children. We have been living happy with the queen for so many years, but we do not have an heir.’
‘Oh, it is easy.’ – The saint took out an apple. He cut it to four pieces and gave them to the king. – ‘When you go home eat the first piece, give the second one to the queen. Let your horse eat the third one and the mare the last one. The mare will have a horse and your wife will have a baby. Go and do what I said!’
‘What do you want for this, tell me, I will give you everything! – the happy king said.
‘I do not want a reward. Just remember – you will not give names to the baby and the horse until I come. I will name them!’
The king did everything as the saint told him. The mare delivered a small horse, and the queen had a wonderful son. The child grew up and went to school but the saint was not coming. The classmates of the boy started to make fun of him.
‘Son, - the king said, - we have been waiting for the saint but he has not come yet. I will give you the name because we can not go like this!
He announced to the whole kingdom that he would name his son. He made a big feast. They have just started when the saint came. He said:
‘I saw, Your Majesty, that you are going to name your son. I came to give him a name. It will be Shaisma, and the horse will be called Kamertyi.
Many years passed. The boy grew up and became a handsome young man, strong and fearless. Once he went hunting with friends. They stopped at the fountain of the village – the same one by which the saint had appeared. The youth spread into different directions.
Shaisma chased a wild goat. He was just aiming at her when she took a side road. He aimed again and she again disappeared. Finally he almost reached her when his horse suddenly fell into a hole. This however was not just a hole but the entrance of a cave.
An old woman was sitting there working on a spinning wheel. The goat turned to a beautiful girl. Shaisma fell in love with her and she fell in love with him as well. Then the old woman who was a magician gave each of them a ring:
‘This rings are magic, - she said. – They will protect you wherever you are!’
The prince and the girl changed the rings. Suddenly the father of the girl, Trukmin bey, came and saw everything. He became angry, because he was subject to the king and therefore hated him. ‘I will take my daughter and run to another country.’ – Trukmin thaught. He did so.
On the next day Shaisma went to see his girl but she was not there any more. He understood what had happened and went to find her. He was asking birds, mice and all the animals he met on his way:
‘Have you seen Trukmin’s daughter?’
They were answering him and showing him the way.
One day he reached a large meadow. There was a palace there with many rooms and food in big plates. A span of green poison was covering the food in each plate. Shaisma let the horse and sat to take a rest. He took out the cover of the plate and removed the poison with his ring. He finished his meal.
Meanwhile the mistress of the palace was watching him from a window. When she saw that he did not die she immediately understood he was not just a stranger. The mistress of the castle had a magic mask. Half of the mouth of the mask was hanging to the breast, the other one was hanging to the ground. The name of the mask was Arabuziya. The mistress put the mask on and went out
‘Hey, boy, - she called – what a man are you? Whoever eats from this food dies immediately. But you are alive. Let me see your strength, throw this mace!
Shaisma threw the mace and plunged it nine meters into the ground. Arabuziya licked her ring and took out the mace. She threw it nine meters into the ground. But Shaisma also licked his ring and took out the mace.
‘Where did you get this ring from?’ – Arabuziya asked.
‘A nice old woman gave it to me.’ – Shaisma answered.
Then the mistress took away the mask and said:
‘This was my mother. She has helped you, so I will help you as well! Give me your hand to tell your fortunes!’
Shaisma gave her his hand and Arabyziya looked at it:
‘There is blood, man, much blood. You will come across many difficulties! I will come with you!’
They harnessed the horses and went together. They asked the mice as they were going:
‘Haven’t you seen the daughter of Trukmin bey?’
‘We haven’t.’ – the mice answered.
‘Where is the chief mouse?’
He came in front of them. Arabuziya asked him:
‘I have given you food many times, tell me now, please, where Trukmin bey and his daughter went!’
The chief mouse gathered all the mice and asked them. Nobody knew. It was only the oldest mouse who said:
‘I am already old but I think I heard somewhere that Trukmin bey went to Tiflikten. He wanted to marry his daughter. But she refused, she did not eat anything, she was crying all the time. Trukmin has announced a big reward – a bowl of golden coins for the one who makes her laugh.’
Shaisma thanked the old mouse and went to Tiflikten. Late in the evening they reached the first house of the town. A poor old woman lived there. They spent the night in her house. She fed them with simple soup – she did not have anything else. Shaisma told her:
‘Old woman, have you heard about the reward of Trukmin bey?’
‘I have heard, my son.’
‘You will take the money. You just have to do what we tell you!’
Then they took a dish of soup and put Shaisma’s ring in it.
‘Take this soup to the princess! And do not give it anybody else take it. Otherwise he will take the award!’
The old woman went to Trukmin’s house. There were many guardians there and they did not want to let her in. But the father ordered:
‘Let her in! So many people tried and did not succeed to make my daughter laugh. Maybe this old woman will make a miracle!’
The old woman went to the princes:
‘Oh, my daughter, you have not eaten for a week. Try what I’ve brought you!’
‘I do not want, Old woman, I am not hungry.’ – the beautiful girl answered.
‘Please, my child, just try it!’
‘I do not want, old woman, I can not!’
‘Then just stir it!’
The princess did not want to offend the old woman, so she took the spoon and stirred the soup. She found the ring. She took it and laughed so loud that everybody heard it. Trukmin bey was happy and while he was shouting from happiness the princess whispered to the old woman:
‘Old woman, please, tell Shaisma that there is a horse race tomorrow. Let him come there. I will recognize his Kamertyi and we will fly together!’
On the next morning Shaisma harnessed his horse and put a piece of cloth on his face not to recognize him. He went to the race. Nobody understood it was he. The music was playing, people were dancing. Then Arabuziya made a magic and a storm came. Nobody understood how Trukmin’s daughter jumped on Kamertyi and fleed with Shaisma.
Three of them were running, running until they got tired. They sat on a meadow. Shaisma and the princess fell asleep, but Arabuziya looked at her hand and saw that much blood was coming. She told herself:
‘An army is coming!’
Then she put the magic mask on, took the saber and started to slash the persecutors. She left only one soldier alive and sent him back to Trukmin bey:
‘Tell him, - she said, - I will slash his whole army if he does not leave us alone!’
Then she woke the two young people and told them:
‘It is late, children, let’s go! Maybe Trukmin bey made his mind because I do not see persecutors!’
And they started to live happy – Shaisma and Trukmin’s daughter. They got married and they had many children. They are still living happily somewhere.