Do you know where is the land of the mighty king of the Burkus? To the east it borders the land of the dog-headed Tartars, to the south the Scythians, to the north it borders the empire of the Man-eating Dwarfs, and to the west it is just beyond the boundaries of the Peruvian Sea.
But the prince of the Burkus, that's the real great ruler. When he gets hungry, his servants bring him a delicious garlic roast on a golden plate. When he's bored, all he has to do is fluff his magnificent moustache and the court musicians and comedians come and entertain him.
Now, such a powerful ruler is the king of the Burkus.
One fine day this mighty ruler sat on his golden throne, his head bowed, lost in thought.
- "What's wrong, my lord king?" asked the grey-bearded advisers.
- "Do not ask me, my wise men of the court," said the king, "I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamt that I was in a great forest and that I found a wonderful spring there. The sound of this spring was more beautiful than the sound of the most beautiful silver bell. And when I looked into the water of the spring, I saw a beautiful pearl shell playing in a hundred colours.
From inside the beautiful pearl shell, a red-robed dwarf emerged and said: "Go until you reach the hundredth tree. There you will find a little house, where the most beautiful girl in the world lives. She will be your wife and no one else. But there's a white bear guarding the door. Woe to you if you draw your sword against it. Stroke his head and say thus:
Silly who is not in a good mood,
Let me in, you white bear!„
"Well, I want to marry the most beautiful daughter in the world," finished the mighty king of the Burkus, "I shall have neither night nor day until I find her! That is my royal word.
Soon couriers were racing all over the country to find the miraculous spring and the most beautiful girl in the world, whom the mighty Burkhu king had chosen as his wife.
All that research was in vain. The couriers found a hundred springs, but none of them tinkled while splashing, none of them inhabited by a red-robed dwarf.
Meanwhile, the mighty king was consumed with grief and sorrow. He had neither night nor day, but sat on his golden throne and mourned for the most beautiful daughter in the world.
One day, as he sits on his throne in the midst of his greatest sorrow, he hears a noise outside the gates. He glances out of his window and sees a white bear pacing outside the palace, growling, and the people are pale and afraid.
The king immediately saddled his finest steed, mounted his saddle and said:
- I will not come home for seven days and seven nights until I find the most beautiful girl in the world. If I am not home by the eighth, and this rose tree here weeps blood, then you will know that I am dead.
The people of the land wept, and the king ran after the white bear. He galloped through the bushes, the mouth of his noble steed was already very full of sweat, sweat was pouring from his whole body. For seven days and seven nights he chased the white bear, until at last he came to a great forest, where the bear disappeared from his sight.
The king got off his horse and tied him to a tree. He was very thirsty after seven days and seven nights of chasing. There was a spring running in the woods, so he bent down to drink from it. And he heard the spring begin to ring at once, more beautiful than the most beautiful silver bell. And he saw that in the water of the spring there was a pearl shell of a hundred colours, and a dwarf in a red dress was peeping out of it.
Suddenly the dwarf said, "Go to the hundredth tree, there you will find a little house, where the most beautiful girl in the world lives. A white bear guards the door. Woe to thee if thou draw thy sword against him. Stroke his head and say so:
Silly who is not in a good mood,
Let me in, you white bear!„
The king took the red-robed dwarf's advice and reached the little house at the hundredth tree. At the gate of the house stood the fearsome white bear. When the king approached, he began to snarl his long teeth and growl loudly.
Other mortals would surely have been sore at his courage. But not so the king.
- One life, one death, he thought, then stepped closer and stroked the angry bear's head. Then he cried out:
Silly who is not in a good mood,
Let me in, you white bear!
And the white bear was soon tamed into a lamb with hands. And the king entered the door and found the most beautiful maiden in the world, braiding her beautiful blonde hair.
- Will you be my wife, the most beautiful daughter in the world? - asked the king.
- "I will, my lord my king," said the most beautiful maiden in the world.
The king mounted his horse, took the most beautiful girl in the world in his saddle, and did not stop until he reached the capital of Burkus.
A feast for seven countries was held, even the white bear was invited, and he filled his belly with fine spleen honey.
That was it, it was over, tale was.
