: With the help of the Gray Wolf, Tsarevich Ivan finds the Firebird, his beautiful wife and faithful horse, defeats envious brothers and the evil Kashchei, becomes the king, and the Gray Wolf serves him until the end of his life.
King Demian lived in a certain kingdom. He had three sons: Klim, Peter and Ivan. An apple tree with golden apples grew in the beautiful garden of the king. And suddenly there was a flaw in the apples. The king called his sons to him and ordered him to catch the thief, and in return he promised half the kingdom during his life and all after death.
Klim was the first to guard the apple tree, but he fell asleep. Peter went second and fell asleep too. On the third night, Ivan set off. He saw the Firebird fly in and pick up apples. The prince grabbed the thief by the tail, but she escaped and flew away, and Ivan had a feather in his hand.
The king wanted to get a wonderful Firebird. He sent the eldest sons to get her. Whoever gets it will receive half the kingdom in life and all after death. Ivan was going to go with his brothers. Father did not want to let him go, but Ivan persuaded his father.
Ivan reached the fork, on which stood a post with an inscription. Whoever goes straight will be cold and hungry all the way. He who goes left will die, and his horse will live. And who goes to the right, he will remain alive, but the horse will die. Ivan went to the right.Gray Wolf ran out of the forest, ate a horse, and then began to serve Ivan faithfully and took him to the Firebird.
The Gray Wolf brought the prince to a stone wall, behind the fence of which there was a cage with a Firebird. The wolf warned that the cell should not be touched. Climbing into the garden, Ivan forgot the advice of the Wolf and took the cage. Around thundered and rang, the watchman woke up and brought Ivan to his king Dalmatian. Dalmat was indignant that the prince did not come to him for the Firebird, but climbed into the garden like a thief. He agreed to cede the Firebird if the prince brought him the horse of Zolotogriv tsar Afron, otherwise he would glorify him all over the world.
He brought Ivan the Gray Wolf to Tsar Afron and warned that the horse should be taken out of the stall, and the bridle should not be touched. Ivan forgot about the order and took the bridle. The strings to her rang, and the grooms woke up. They brought Ivan to the tsar, and he demanded that He be brought the Beautiful, the daughter of Tsar Kasym, otherwise he would glorify the prince all over the world, like a thief.
Now the Gray Wolf is up to business. Seizing the moment when Elena was left alone, put her on his back and took her away. On the way to Tsar Afron, Ivan and Elena fell in love. Gray Wolf turned into Elena. Having exchanged him for a horse, Ivan continued his journey on Zolotogriv, and the Wolf caught them.
When they arrived in the kingdom of Dolmat, the Wolf turned into the horse of Zolotogriv and Ivan exchanged it for the Firebird. Only Dalmat mounted a horse, and the horse turned into a Gray Wolf and fled. I caught up with the wolf of Ivan, they reached the place where they met, and they had to leave here. Saying goodbye, the wolf warned that Ivan did not trust his brothers.
Ivan met with his brothers.They saw the Firebird, the horse of Zolotogriva, Elena the Beautiful, envied and killed Ivan - they thrust a sharp sword into his chest. The brothers took the Firebird, horse and Elena and went to his father. Gray Wolf returned to Ivan, caught a raven and ordered to bring living and dead water. The Gray Wolf sprayed dead water on Ivan, and the wounds healed near Ivan, sprayed live water, and Ivan came to life.
Gray Wolf warned that this service is the last. Wolf told that he killed the brothers Ivan Koschey and took Elena with a horse and a Firebird. Elena has a talisman, and Koschey will not do anything to her. Baba Yaga, who lives in a dense forest, knows how to destroy Koshchei. The wolf showed Ivan the road to three oaks, between which a war horse was buried in the ground. The horse must show Ivan the way to Baba Yaga.
He drove the Tsarevich’s horse to Baba Yaga. On the way, Ivan saw two Lesha fighting, who could not share a self-assembled tablecloth, an invisible hat and a batman-baton. Ivan proposed to arrange a competition: whoever first reaches the arrow that he will fire will receive magic things. The goblin fled, and Ivan took everything to himself. Ivan got to Baba Yaga. From her, the prince learned that in the middle of Ocian is Buyan Island. An old oak tree grows on the island, a chest is buried under the oak, a hare is sitting in a chest, a duck is in a hare, an egg is in a duck, and Koshcheev’s death is in that egg. When Koschey needs to crush the egg and pick up the gusli-samoguda in order to wake their father and the whole kingdom with them.
Ivan got to Ocian and saw that there was a net in him, and a pike in a net. She asked the pike to throw it into the sea and promised help. Ivan sailed on horse Ocian and reached the island of Buyana.He dug a chest from under the oak and took out a hare from there, and a duck from the hare. A duck flew out, Ivan shot it, and an egg fell out of it into the sea. Then a pike appeared with an egg in its mouth, thanked for the help.
Ivan got to the castle Koscheeva. He guarded the gate in the castle of snakes about twelve heads. He pulled out a baton and killed it with a snake. The prince spread the tablecloth-self-collected, they ate enough with the horse. I found Ivan Kashchei, killed him, took the Firebird, horse, Elena, did not forget to take the gusli-samoguda and came to his kingdom. Everything was asleep there. Ivan began to play on the psalter, everything woke up, came to life. Ivan and Elena played the wedding, and the Gray Wolf was the most expensive guest.
After the wedding, Gray Wolf remained to live in the palace. When King Demyan passed away, Ivan ascended the throne. Gray Wolf nursed his children, taught them to read and write. And when Ivan Demyanovich died, the Gray Wolf followed him to the grave. The papers of the Gray Wolf found detailed notes about everything and composed this story.
