(fairy tale)

In one town there lived a man and a woman with a son named Haris.

Once a sad rumor spread around the city that the tsar’s daughter went for a walk with a friend and did not return. Whoever sought her, all brave prices and knights, no one could find her.

Haris also felt sorry for the princess. And he also decided to try to find her, the thought did not leave him that he might be lucky and he would still find the king’s daughter.

At dawn, Haris put bread and cheese in his leather bag and went to look for the princess, but first he warned his mother.

“Where are you going, son?” the mother said worriedly. “All the people tried, but in vain, and you want to find the princess too. I am afraid that we will lose you in this wicked woodland surrounding us!”

“Mother is telling the truth,” supported the father, “you are still small and have not seen the world. Stay at home and don’t take on what you can’t handle.”

But Haris did not want to listen to anybody and anything. He persuaded his parents for a long time, and they agreed.

After leaving the city, Haris did not even know where he needed to go, to the right or to the left. He walked and walked in circles until he found himself in a forest that obscured even the sky, and only the branches of the trees were visible.

“It won’t take long to get lost,” said Haris. “At least I`ll try to find a hut or ask someone where I came…”

Before he could prove it, a light flashed ahead. Haris went after him, but the light was receding gradually. The boy sped up his pace, because it was already getting dark, and soon he reached the big castle. He knocked there. An old Grandmother opened the gate.

“What do you need here, boy?”

“Let me spend the night. It’s late, where could I go?”

“Better run away from here, boy, and forget the way here. I wish you good only.”

“But why?”

“I can’t say that.”

“No, I will stay,” said Haris firmly and entered the castle.

The grandmother, looking pitifully at the boy, began to knead the dough. She was very old – her hands were shaking. Haris took pity on the grandmother and began to help her: he kneaded the dough, and then put the bread in the oven. Suddenly, a terrible roar came from outside. The doors of the castle opened with such a roar that Haris was overcome with fear.

Before the grandmother could even open her mouth, a dragon flew into the room.The dragon wondered who this young man was.

“My name is Haris.”

“What do you need here?”

“I want to get shelter for the night.”

The dragon laughed so hard that everything came to a screeching halt.

“You want to spend the night here!” shouted the dragon and turned to the grandmother. “Old woman, have you already baked my bread?”

“Yeah, I baked it,” she timidly answered.

“Then serve dinner!” ordered the dragon.

Grandma brought food and drink. When they had dinner, the dragon took Haris to a separate room, and he himself went upstairs to sleep. Early in the morning, a roar was heard again, which shook the whole castle. Haris jumped out of bed, quickly dressed up and ran to the grandmother.

“He is no longer at home,”said the grandmother, “with such a roar, he flies out of the castle every day.”

In the evening, the dragon asked his grandmother to bring dinner again, and when they had dinner, Haris thanked the dragon for the bread and salt, for the shelter, but it was already time for him to go.

“Do not hurry, man, sit down!” roared the dragon.

“Do forgive me, but I have some things to do.”

“Which ones? Can you tell me?”

“I’m looking for our princess…” the young man began.

Everything around trembled from the dragon’s growl.

“Man, don’t worry, this is what I tell you, you will see your princess. But you don’t need to leave my castle for that!”

The next day, Haris came to the grandmother again and asked,

“Why won’t the dragon let me out of here? And what did he say about the princess? I didn’t understand anything.”

Grandma cried out.

“Why are you crying?”

“I’m crying, boy, because you have only one day left to live in our forest… In the evening, the dragon will strike you three times with a rod and turn you to stone, as he did to all who came here.

“Did he turn many people to stones?”

“Thirty-nine. He filled the whole room with them, and he keeps the key to himself. So, I just can’t help you.”

Haris started racking his brains. In a while he asked,

“Don’t you have a thick rope?”

“What isn’t here? Yes, any types of ropes,” said the grandmother.

Haris made loops and spread them by the door. “Maybe the dragon will fall into a trap,” he thought.

When it got dark, a terrible roar was heard again. The door opened and the dragon came in. But as soon as he took a step, all the hinges shrunk, and the dragon fell as if mowed down. Haris took the keys and staff from the dragon.

“Tell me how to free people from the spell that you turned them to stone,” he asked. “And then I will turn you to a stone, so you will stay alive, otherwise…”

“I’ll tell you,” groaned the dragon on reflection. “Just don’t touch me. Strike petrified people with this rod, and they will become themselves again.”

Haris ran into the room where the petrified people were and freed them from the spell. Among them there was the princess. Haris asked people to leave the castle and go home. And he decided to take the princess home himself. Together with the princess they went to the dragon. Haris broke the rod and threw it into the fire.

“Now you will not do harm to people! And if I hear anything bad about you, I’ll find you underground. And now excuse me, good bye!”

“Godspeed you, boy,” said the grandmother and waved her hanky.

Haris and the princess left the dragon’s castle and went to the king,

“Here is your daughter, I did it,” said Haris. The king embraced the young man and asked,

“Well, do you want to be my son-in-law and heir? My daughter will not find anyone better than you!”

Soon the wedding took place. Haris’ parents moved to the royal palace. As for the dragon`s castle, all of them used it as a spooky summer cottage.