Chapter Fourteen. Odikhmantiev son

Tugarin, for the joy that I blessed him with Sophia, galloped forward, returned, galloped away again.

- Tugarin, calm down already

- Oh, Prince, Oh, Prince ...

Tugarin didn’t have enough words

- Tugarin, how long will we go?

- Half day, prince

- Maybe you want a snack? I have a self-painted cloth

- No, prince. No I do not want to

And he rushed forward again.

- Will allocate to you Carl a filly - I patted Serko on a mane

- cheat! - Serko shook his mane

Tugarin returned - Prince, I’m sorry, I don’t want to part with you, but you can't go further on horseback: The robber indulges when people drive up too close to his lair.

Serko stopped.

Look, prince! - Tugarin got up, leaning on the stirrups and turned toward the darkening forest.

I also got up and turned my gaze to that side.

- Do you see three pines standing apart?

Three pines I saw - Yes!

- The Murom road begins there ...

"Three pines stood along the Murom road ..." - I remembered

“It is along this road, from these three pines, and you will go to a dense forest, to nine centuries-old oaks.” On these nine oaks is the lair of the Son of Odihmantiev, called by the people Solovyom-Robber. He will then see you from three more pines, but he will not play pranks if you are on foot ...

- And if on a horse? - I interrupted Tugarin

- And if b on koneee? Then he will inflate his cheeks like clouds, but as he blows, he will knock the horse out from under the rider and carry it away! Yes, it's all so fast that the rider will not have time to come to his senses, and he is sitting on the road!

Tugarin was silent

I jumped to the ground, untied the bag from the saddle and patted Serko - Do we see each other?

- What are you prince ?! Of course we shall meet - Tugarin jumped off his horse, stepped towards me, and we embraced.

- Well, brothers, go! - I threw a knapsack on his shoulder and headed for the three pines, whose tops loomed ahead.

Horsemen, son Odikhmantiev, noticed a long time ago. Looking around the neighborhood from his lair on nine oaks, he saw two moving points on the horizon. Rogue's vision was falcon! He waited until the dots gained the outlines of riders and rubbed his hands - Nice! Though today I am having fun!

- Akulina!

From the tower, on the seventh oak, looked out girl - You called, tyatya?

- Akulin, and come here, darling.

Akulina, like a bird frisky, fluttered to daddy on the fifth, the highest, oak.

- Take a closer look dear, do you know which of those two who drive up to Murom from the Thirtieth?

Akulina peered - I know Tugarin Jr., and the second is not familiar to me. Yes, he - she squinted - he, tyatya, will not be ours!

Rogue grimaced - Tugarin? - and sighed - Tugarin knows my jokes. So the foot will go.

- No, tyatya, will not go!

- Kaak! - rogue Rogue.

- Tugarin returns, and to the pines goes, entot, come.

I reached the pines for forty minutes. He stood in the shadows and moved on.

Nine oaks already loomed away, increasing with every hundred paces.

Another forty minutes walk, and I clearly see the tower on the oaks.

I do not know from what depths of memory this song has surfaced, it rushed right out, and I pulled my throat!

Went the girl zhito to press
Knop soldier knit,
Nightingale, nightingale, little bird ...
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Hey, time! Hey two! Woe is no problem
Canarechka sings plaintively.
The girl half-clicked
The soldier found a chill.
nightingale, nightingale, birdie ...
Canarechka sings pitifully

Hey, time! Hey two! Woe is no problem
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Throw, girl, zhito to press
Let's go into the chill
Nightingale, nightingale, little bird ...
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Hey, time! Hey two! Woe is no problem
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Mommy told me
So that I dig pressed
Nightingale, nightingale, little bird ...
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Hey, time! Hey two! Woe is no problem
Canarechka sings plaintively.
Until i dig
I will not go with you.
Nightingale, nightingale, little bird ...
Kanarea ...

The earth shuddered under her feet. Before me stood a little muzhik, seemingly inconsiderate and simple-minded, but somewhere flashed and "silly!".

“Neither huyase siganul!” - to the oaks was about fifty steps, and the top of the highest was hidden behind the clouds.

The little man blinked and roguishly smiled in his disheveled beard - Who is that? How to call, magnify? What overseas countries? Where are we going?

- Prince I. My name is Roman son Grigoriev. Come from overseas countries. I am going from the Far Far Fifth Kingdom, and my way to the 30th Kingdom.

- The path to the 30th Kingdom lies through the Puigay River and Kalinov Bridge. How do you want to go through Kalinov Bridge? How are you going to fight with the Seven-headed Fire-breathing Serpent, but with Koschey the Immortal, and with Morana?

- And I also wanted to ask you, Odikhmantiev Son, to give me a carrier for the conductors, your bogatyr daughter.

- Akulinka! - called the Robber

The earth trembled once more, and next to the Rogue, as if from under the earth had grown, there was a girl, of heroic growth and stature. If I add that Akulinka’s face was simply beautiful written, then you will understand my admiration!

“Mil, man,” the Robber told me - what song did you sing for? Never before had I heard that.

- This song is called "Nightingale, nightingale, little bird."

- Priinz, sing a song again, do not refuse. My Akulinka will help you to move to the Tenth. I did not remember the first time, tokmo listened. Respect priinz!

I delayed the song, and the Rogue, closing his eyes and moving his lips, listened.

I finished.

Nightingale opened his eyes - Respect, prince! Have a rest in my terem from the long way, try my treats, and then Akulinka will send you to the 30th.

I looked up: the tops of the oaks were barely visible in the sky. I did not see Teremov now.

- Yes, you do not worry prince. Akulinka help. Akulinka!

The girl stepped toward me, took her hand and sprang up. More precisely, we soared! I did not feel, neither overloads, nor the flight itself. I managed only to blink and, when I opened my eyes, we were already upstairs, on the porch of the painted tower. The next moment, the Rogue also became close.

- Pass the prince! - the owner led his hand, and I entered the terem.

I will not bore you with the description of the dishes from the table of the Nightingale the Robber, but “Putinka”, a hospitable host, liked it! And the girl, having eaten a bar of Alyonka chocolate, looked at me with butter eyes, as did Fun.

The nightingale asked another “Putinki”. Opened, sipped from the throatsbut (I learned from me!) and tightened the Nightingale. Not in vain, in the name of the Rogue, Nightingale, in the first place: he sang in a chamber operatic voice, so much so that even I heard!

- Priinz! Priinz!

I shook off the delusion.

Akulina jerked my hand.

- What do you Akulinka? - as if I did not know what she would ask.

- Priinz! Treat another "Alenka".

- Akulina, you shouldn't eat him much

- Priinz! - the eyes of the beautiful girls, bogatyrs of the hares were smeared to shine.

The song broke off in mid-sentence and the tower shuddered from the heroic snoring. Vodka and then rogue acted.

- Teperich tyatya will sleep for a long time. Prince! - Akulina was looking at me as if she was asking the price!

- Prince, give me three "Alenki" and I will take you to my terem.

- I am good here, Akulina - I pretended to be a fool

- Prince. You lay down with me for three "Alenki" - the girl spoke openly, I noticed how much you liked!

- Let's go to your chambers! - I took my bag with a tablecloth.

Terem Akulina was on the third (or seventh?) Oak.

We entered and Akulina led me to the bedroom. The bed was wide, but not cleaned.

Warning Akulin, I said - “Alenka”, Akulinka, you will get after!

- Priinz! - the eyes of the girls again become sweet - Did you think ...