Read this interesting epic about Dobrynya Nikitich and the Serpent Gorynych. Children love such stories.

Once upon a time there lived a widow, Mamelfa Timofeevna, near Kiev. She had a beloved son - the hero Dobrynyushka. Throughout Kyiv, fame spread about Dobrynya: he was stately, and tall, and learned to read and write, and was brave in battle, and cheerful at the feast. He will compose a song, play the harp, and say a clever word. And Dobrynya’s disposition is calm and affectionate. He will not scold anyone, he will not offend anyone in vain. No wonder they called him the quiet Dobrynyushka.
Once on a hot summer day, Dobrynya wanted to swim in the river. He went to his mother Mamelfa Timofeevna:
- Let me go, mother, to go to the Puchai River, in cold water take a swim, the summer heat has exhausted me.
Mamelfa Timofeevna got excited and began to dissuade Dobrynya:
- My dear son Dobrynyushka, don’t go to the Puchai River. The river is furious and angry. From the first stream the fire shoots out, from the second stream sparks fall, from the third stream smoke pours out in a column.
- Okay, mother, at least let me go along the shore and get some fresh air.
Mamelfa Timofeevna released Dobrynya.
Dobrynya put on a traveling dress, covered himself with a tall Greek hat, took with him a spear and a bow with arrows, a sharp saber and a whip.
He mounted a good horse, called a young servant with him and set off. Dobrynya drives for an hour or two; The summer sun is scorching hot, burning Dobrynya’s head. Dobrynya forgot what his mother was punishing him and turned his horse towards the Puchai River. The Puchai River brings coolness.
Dobrynya jumped off his horse and threw the reins to the young servant:
- You stay here, watch the horse. He took off the Greek hat from his head, took off his traveling clothes, put all his weapons on his horse and rushed into the river.
Dobrynya floats along the Puchai River and is surprised:
- What did my mother tell me about the Puchai River? The Pooh-river is not fierce, The Pooh-river is quiet, like a rain puddle.
Before Dobrynya had time to speak, the sky suddenly darkened, but there were no clouds in the sky, and there was no rain, but thunder rumbled, and there was no thunderstorm, but the fire was shining...
Dobrynya raised his head and saw that the Serpent Gorynych, a terrible serpent, was flying towards him. three heads, about seven claws, flames are blazing from the nostrils, smoke is pouring from the ears, the copper claws on the paws are shining.
The Serpent saw Dobrynya and thundered:
- Eh, the old people prophesied that Dobrynya Nikitich would kill me, but Dobrynya himself came into my clutches. Now if I want, I’ll eat you alive, if I want, I’ll take you to my lair, I’ll take you prisoner. I have a lot of Russian people in captivity, only Dobrynya was missing.
And Dobrynya says in a quiet voice:
- Oh, you damned snake, first take Dobrynya, then show off, but for now Dobrynya is not in your hands. Dobrynya knew how to swim well; he dived to the bottom, swam under the water, surfaced near a steep shore, jumped out onto the shore and rushed to his horse. And there was no trace of the horse: the young servant was frightened by the snake’s roar, jumped on the horse and was off. And he took all the weapons to Dobrynina. Dobrynya has nothing to fight with the Serpent Gorynych.
And the Serpent again flies to Dobrynya, showers with flammable sparks, and burns Dobrynya’s white body.
The heroic heart trembled.
Dobrynya looked at the shore - there was nothing to take into his hands: there was no club, no pebble, only yellow sand on the steep bank, and his Greek hat was lying around.
Dobrynya grabbed a Greek hat, poured no less than five pounds of yellow sand into it, and then hit the Snake Gorynych with his hat and knocked off his head. He threw the Snake down to the ground, crushed his chest with his knees, and wanted to knock off two more heads...
How the Serpent Gorynych prayed here:
- Oh, Dobrynyushka, oh, hero, don’t kill me, let me fly around the world, I will always obey you! I will give you a great vow: not to fly to you in wide Rus', not to take Russian people prisoner. Just have mercy on me, Dobrynyushka, and don’t touch my little snakes.
Dobrynya succumbed to the crafty speech, believed the Serpent Gorynych, and let him go, damned.
As soon as the Serpent rose under the clouds, it immediately turned towards Kyiv and flew to the garden of Prince Vladimir. And at that time, young Zabava Putyatishna, Prince Vladimir’s niece, was walking in the garden.
The Serpent saw the princess, was delighted, rushed at her from under the cloud, grabbed her in his copper claws and carried her to the Sorochinsky mountains.
At this time, Dobrynya found a servant and began to put on his traveling dress - suddenly the sky darkened and thunder roared. Dobrynya raised his head and saw: the Serpent Gorynych was flying from Kyiv, carrying Zabava Putyatishna in his claws!
Then Dobrynya became sad, became nervous, came home unhappy, sat down on a bench, and didn’t say a word. His mother began to ask:
- Why are you sitting sadly, Dobrynyushka? What are you, my light, sad about?
“I’m not worried about anything, I’m not sad about anything, but it’s not fun for me to sit at home.” I’ll go to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir, he’s having a fun feast today.
- Don’t go, Dobrynyushka, to the prince, my heart senses evil. We'll have a feast at home too.
Dobrynya did not listen to his mother and went to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir.
Dobrynya arrived in Kyiv and went to the prince’s upper room. At the feast, the tables are full of food, there are barrels of sweet honey, but the guests do not eat, do not drink, they sit with their heads down.
The prince walks around the upper room and does not treat guests. The princess covered herself with a veil and did not look at the guests.
Here Vladimir the Prince says:
- Eh, my beloved guests, we are having a sad feast! And the princess is bitter, and I am sad. The damned Serpent Gorynych took away our beloved niece, young Zabava Putyatishna. Which of you will go to Mount Sorochinskaya, find the princess, and free her?
Where there! The guests hide behind each other: the big ones behind the middle ones, the middle ones behind the smaller ones, and the smaller ones cover their mouths. Suddenly the young hero Alyosha Popovich comes out from behind the table.
- That's what, Prince Red Sun, yesterday I was in an open field, I saw Dobrynyushka by the Puchai River. He fraternized with the Serpent Gorynych, called him a smaller brother. You went to the Serpent Dobrynyushka. He will ask your beloved niece from your sworn brother without a fight.
Prince Vladimir got angry:
- If so, get on your horse, Dobrynya, go to Mount Sorochinskaya, get me my beloved niece. If you don’t get Putyatishna’s Fun, I’ll order you to cut off your head!
Dobrynya lowered his violent head, did not answer a word, got up from the table, mounted his horse and rode home.
Mother came out to meet him and saw that Dobrynya had no face.
- What’s wrong with you, Dobrynyushka, what’s wrong with you, son, what happened at the feast? Did they offend you, or put you under a spell, or put you in a bad place?
“They didn’t offend me or put a spell around me, and I had a place according to my rank, according to my rank.”
- Why did you, Dobrynya, hang your head?
- Prince Vladimir ordered me to perform a great service: to go to Mount Sorochinskaya, to find and get Zabava Putyatishna. And the Serpent Gorynych took away Zabava Putyatishna.
Mamelfa Timofeevna was horrified, but did not cry and be sad, but began to think about the matter.
- Go to bed, Dobrynyushka, go to sleep quickly, get strong. The morning is wiser than the evening, tomorrow we will keep the advice.
Dobrynya went to bed. He sleeps, snores that the stream is noisy. And Mamelfa Timofeevna does not go to bed, sits on a bench and spends the whole night weaving a seven-tailed whip from seven silks. In the morning, Dobrynya Nikitich’s mother woke up:
- Get up, son, get dressed, get dressed, go to the old stable. In the third stall the door does not open; the oak door was beyond our strength. Push up, Dobrynyushka, open the door, there you will see your grandfather’s horse Burushka. Burka has been standing in a stall for fifteen years, uncared for. Clean him, feed him, give him something to drink, bring him to the porch.
Dobrynya went to the stable, tore the door off its hinges, and took Burushka out to White light, cleaned, bathed, brought to the porch. He began to saddle Burushka. He put a sweatshirt on it, felt on top of the sweatshirt, then a Cherkassy saddle, embroidered with valuable stitches, decorated with gold, tightened twelve girths, and bridled it with a golden bridle. Mamelfa Timofeevna came out and handed him a seven-tailed whip:
- When you arrive, Dobrynya, on Mount Sorochinskaya, the Snake Gorynych will not be at home. Run your horse into the den and start trampling the baby snakes. The little snakes will wrap around Burka’s legs, and you will whip Burka between the ears with a whip. Burka will jump up, shake the baby snakes off his feet and trample every single one of them.
A branch broke off from the apple tree, an apple rolled away from the apple tree, a son was leaving his mother for a difficult, bloody battle.
Day after day passes like rain, but week after week it flows like a river. Dobrynya is riding in the red sun, Dobrynya is riding in the bright moon, he went to Mount Sorochinskaya.
And on the mountain near the snake’s lair there are teeming with baby snakes. They began to wrap Burushka’s legs around her and began to undermine her hooves. Burushka cannot jump and falls to her knees. Dobrynya then remembered his mother’s order, grabbed the whip of seven silks, began to beat Burushka between the ears, and said:
- Jump, Burushka, jump, shake the baby snakes away from your feet.
Burushka gained strength from the whip, he began to jump high, throw stones a mile away, and began to shake baby snakes away from his feet. He beats them with his hoof and tears them with his teeth and tramples every single one of them.
Dobrynya got off his horse, took a sharp saber in his right hand, a heroic club in his left hand, and went to the snake caves. As soon as he took a step, the sky darkened, thunder roared, and the Serpent Gorynych flies, holding a dead body in his claws. Fire shoots from the mouth, smoke pours from the ears, copper claws burn like heat...
The Serpent saw Dobrynyushka, threw the dead body to the ground, and growled in a loud voice:
- Why, Dobrynya, did you break our vow and trample my cubs?
- Oh, you damned snake! Did I break our word, did I break our vow? Why did you fly, Snake, to Kyiv, why did you take away Zabava Putyatishna?! Give me the princess without a fight, so I will forgive you.
- I won’t give up Zabava Putyatishna, I’ll devour her, and I’ll devour you, and I’ll take all the Russian people to the full!
Dobrynya got angry and rushed at the Snake.
And then a fierce battle began.
The Sorochinsky Mountains crumbled, the oak trees were uprooted, the grass went a yard deep into the ground...
They fight for three days and three nights; The Snake began to overcome Dobrynya, began to throw him up, began to throw him up... Then Dobrynya remembered about the whip, grabbed it and started lashing the Snake between the ears. The serpent Gorynych fell to his knees, and Dobrynya pressed him to the ground with his left hand, and right hand caresses with a whip. He beat and beat him with a silk whip, tamed him like a beast and cut off all his heads.
Black blood gushed from the Serpent, spread to the east and west, and flooded Dobrynya to the waist. For three days Dobrynya stands in black blood, his legs are cold, the cold reaches his heart. The Russian land does not want to accept snake blood.
Dobrynya sees that the end has come for him, took out a whip of seven silks, began to whip the ground, saying:
- Make way, mother earth, and devour the blood of the snake.
The damp earth opened up and devoured the snake's blood.
Dobrynya Nikitich rested, washed, cleaned his heroic armor and went to the snake caves. All the caves are closed with copper doors, locked with iron bolts, and hung with golden locks.
Dobrynya broke the copper doors, tore off the locks and bolts, and entered the first cave. And there he sees a countless number of people from forty lands, from forty countries, it’s impossible to count in two days. Dobrynyushka tells them:
- Hey, you foreign people and foreign warriors! Go out into the free world, go to your places and remember the Russian hero. Without it, you would sit in snake captivity for a century.
They began to go free and bow to Dobrynya’s land:
- We will remember you forever, Russian hero! And Dobrynya goes further, opens cave after cave, and frees captive people. Both old people and young women, small children and old women, Russian people and from foreign countries, come out into the world, but Putyatishna’s Fun is no longer there.
So Dobrynya went through eleven caves, and in the twelfth he found Zabava Putyatishna: the princess was hanging on a damp wall, chained by her hands with golden chains. Dobrynyushka tore off the chains, took the princess off the wall, took her in his arms, and carried her out of the cave into the open world.
And she stands on her feet, staggers, closes her eyes from the light, and doesn’t look at Dobrynya. Dobrynya laid her down on green grass, fed him, gave him something to drink, covered him with a cloak, and lay down to rest.
The sun set in the evening, Dobrynya woke up, saddled Burushka and woke up the princess. Dobrynya mounted his horse, placed Zabava in front of him and set off. And there are no number of people around, everyone bows to Dobrynya, thanks for her salvation, and rushes to their lands.
Dobrynya rode out into the yellow steppe, spurred his horse and took Zabava Putyatishna to Kyiv.

See other topics from this section here -

Mother used to say to Dobrynyushka,
Yes, and Nikitich’s mother punished him:
- Don’t go too far into the open field,
To that mountain and Sorochinskaya,

Don’t you help out the Polonov and the Russians,
Don’t swim, Dobrynya, in the Puchai River,
That Puchai River is very fierce,

But Dobrynya did not listen to his mother.
How he rides far into an open field,
And to Thuya on Mount Sorochinskaya,
He trampled the young snakes,
And he helped out the full Russians.

His heroic heart began to sweat,
My heart started to sweat, I got thirsty -
He seasoned his good horse,
He is kind to the horse and to the Puchai River,
He got off, Dobrynya, from his good horse,
Yes, Dobrynya took off her colored dress,
Yes, I wandered beyond the first trickle,
Yes, he wandered behind the trickle behind the middle one
And he himself said these words:
- Mother used to tell me, Dobrynyushka,
My mother punished me, Nikitich:
Why don't you go further into an open field?
To that mountain on Sorochinskaya,
Don't trample on the young snakes,
Don’t help out the Polonov and the Russians,
And don’t swim, Dobrynya, in the Puchai River,
But the Puchai River is very fierce,
And the middle stream cuts like fire!
And the Puchai River is meek and meek,
It's like a rain puddle!

Dobrynya didn’t have time to say a word -
There is no wind, but there is a cloud,
There are no clouds, but it’s like rain,
And there is no rain, but only thunder roars,
Thunder rumbles and lightning whistles -
And how the Serpent Gorynishche flies
About those twelve about trunks.
But the Dobrynya of that Snake will not shrink.
The damned snake says to him:
- You are now, Dobrynya, in my hands!
If I want you, Dobrynya, now I’ll drown you,
If I want you, Dobrynya, now I’ll eat and devour you,
If I want, I’ll take you in my trunk, Dobrynya,
I’ll take it in my trunk, Dobrynya, and carry it into the hole!

The Snake falls like a fast river,
But Dobrynyushka was good at swimming:
He will dive onto the shore there,
He will dive onto the shore here.

But Dobrynyushka doesn’t have a good horse,
Yes, Dobrynya doesn’t have colored dresses -
There’s just one feather cap lying there,
May that cap be filled with Greek soil,
The weight of that cap is as much as three pounds.
How he grabbed the cap and the Greek land*,
He will hit the Snake and the damned one -
He knocked off twelve Snakes and all their trunks.
Then the Snake fell into the feather grass,
Dobrynyushka turned on his leg,
He jumped onto the serpentine and white breasts.
On the cross Dobrynya had a damask knife -
He wants to spread out her white breasts.

And the Snake Dobrynya prayed to him:
- Oh, hey, Dobrynya son Nikitinich!
We will lay down with you the great commandment:
You shouldn’t go far into an open field,
To Thuya, to Mount Sorochinskaya,
Don't trample any more young snakes,
And not to help out the full and Russians,
Do not swim, Dobrynya, in the Puchai River.
And I don’t want to fly to Holy Rus',
I don’t need to carry Russian people anymore,
I don’t want to hoard fulls and Russians.

He released the Snake from under his knees -
The Snake rose up under the cloud.
She happened to fly past Kyiv-grad.
She saw the Prince's niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna,
Walking along the wide street.
Here the Snake falls on the damp ground,
She captured the Prince's niece,
She took it into a hole and into the deep.

Then the sun Vladimir Stolno-Kyiv
And he spent three days clicking here and there,
And the old man called out to the glorious knights:
- Who could go far into an open field,
To Thuya, to Mount Sorochinskaya,
Go into a hole and into a deep one,
And to get my prince’s niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna?

Aleshenka Levontevich said:
- Oh, darling Vladimir Stolno-Kyiv
Throw on this great service
On that Dobrynya on Nikitich
After all, he has a commandment with the Snake,
Why shouldn’t she fly to Holy Rus'?
And he can’t go far into an open field,
Don't trample on the young snakes
Don't help out the full Russians.
So he will take the Prince’s niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna,
No fighting, no bloodshed. -

The sun is here Vladimir Stolno-Kyiv
How I threw this great service
On that Dobrynya on Nikitich -
He should go further into an open field
And get him Prince’s niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna.

He went home, Dobrynya, got twisted,
Dobrynya began to spin and became sad.
The Empress and dear mother greet you,
That honest widow Ofimya Alexandrovna:
- Hey, my baby is born,
Young Dobrynya son Nikitinets!
Why aren't you leaving the feast happy?
To know that the place was not up to par,
You know, they brought you a spell at the feast
Did the fool laugh at you?

- Hey, empress and dear mother,
You are honest, widow Ofimya Alexandrovna!
The place was just right for me,
I was not enchanted at the feast,
Yes, the fool didn’t laugh at me,
And he did a great service
And then the sun Vladimir Stolno-Kyiv,
Why go far into an open field,
To that mountain and to the high one,
I should go into a hole and into a deep one,
I need to get Knyazev’s niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna.

Mother says to Dobrynya,
The widow Ofimya Alexandrovna is honest:
- Go to bed early in the evening,
So the morning will be very wise -
The morning will be wiser than the evening.

He got up early in the morning,
It washes itself and it’s white,
He is well equipped.
Let him go to the stables, to the standing ones,
And he takes a bridle and a braid in his hands,
And he takes his grandfather’s horse, but it’s a good one
He gave Burk a honey drink,
He fed millet and Beloyarova,
He saddled Burk in a Cherkassy saddle,
He put sweatshirts on his back,
He puts felt on sweatshirts,
He put a Cherkassy saddle on the felt,
Twelve tight girths pulled everyone up,
He put the thirteenth for the sake of the fortress,
So that a good horse does not jump out from under the saddle,
I couldn’t help the good fellow in an open field.
The girths were silk,
And the pins on the girths are all damask,
Buckles at the saddle and red gold -
Yes, silk does not tear, but damask steel does not rub,
Red gold does not rust,
Well done, he sits on a horse and doesn’t grow old.

Dobrynya's son Nikitinets went,
At parting, his mother gave him a whip,
She herself said these words:
- How will you be far away in the open field,
To the mountains and to the high ones,
You will trample the young snakes,
You will help out the full and Russians,
How are you young snakes?
They'll sharpen Burk's brushes like they do,
That Burushko will no longer be able to jump,

Take this silk whip,
And you beat Burka and rip him between his legs,
I'll slit your legs and slit your ears,
I'll separate the legs and hind legs, -
Your Burushko will begin to jump,
And he shakes the baby snakes off his feet -
You will trample every single one of them.

How will he be far away in an open field,
To the mountains and to the high ones,
He trampled the young snakes.
How are you, young snakes?
They sharpened Burk's brushes like they did,
That Burushko can no longer jump,
He shakes the little snakes off his feet.
Here is young Dobrynya's son Nikitinets
He takes a silk whip,
He hits Burk between the ears,
I'll slit your ears and slit your legs,
I'll separate the legs between the hind legs.
Then Burushko began to jump around,
And he shakes the baby snakes off his feet,
He trampled every single one of them.

Came out like a damn snake
From your hole and from deep,
She herself says yes, these are the words:
- Oh, hey, Dobrynyushka Nikitinets!
You, you know, have broken your commandment.
Why did you trample the young snakes?
Why did the Russians come to the rescue?

Dobrynya's son Nikitinets said:
- Oh, hey, damned Snake!
The devil carried you through Kyiv-grad,
Why did you take Prince’s niece,
Young Zabava's daughter Potyatichna?
Give me Knyazev's niece
Without a fight, without a fight - bloodshed.

Then she's a damned snake
She said to Dobrynya and Nikitich:
- I won’t give you the prince’s niece
No fight, no bloodshed!

She started a great fight.
They fought with the Snake here for three days,
But Dobrynya could not kill the Snake.
Here Dobrynya wants to get behind the Snake -
As from the heavens of Dobrynya a voice says to him:
- Young Dobrynya son Nikitinets!
You fought with the Snake for three days,
Fight with the Snake for another three hours:
You will beat the damned Snake!

He fought with the Snake for another three hours,
He beat the Snake and the damned one, -
That Snake, she started bleeding.
He stood here with the Snake for three days,
But Dobrynya could not wait out the blood.
Dobrynya wanted to get away from the blood,
But from heaven Dobrynya again a voice says:
- Oh, hey, Dobrynya son Nikitinets!
You stood here near the blood for three days -
Stay near the blood for another three hours,
Take your spear and the Murzametsk one
And hit the ground with a spear,
Say with a spear yourself:
"Make way, Mother Earth,
Make way for four and you're at a quarter!
You gobble up this blood and all the snake blood!”
Then the damp mother earth parted,
She devoured all the snake's blood.

Then Dobrynya went into the hole.
Into you and into holes and into deep ones,
There sit forty kings, forty princes,
Forty kings and princes,
But simple power has no cost.
Then Dobrynyushka Nikitinets
He spoke to the kings and he to the princes
And to those kings and princes:
- You go there now, the hotel has been brought.
And you, young Zabava daughter of Potyatichna, -
For you, I have now wandered like this -
Let's go to the city of Kyiv
And to the affectionate prince, to Vladimir.
And he took young Zabava’s daughter Potyatichna.

* - Cap of the Greek land - The headdress of a wanderer to holy places has been turned into a throwing weapon.
** - Bylitsa clicked - Bylitsa is a healer who tells fortunes using herbs.

» About Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych

Pages: 1

Once upon a time there lived a widow, Mamelfa Timofeevna, near Kiev. She had a beloved son, the hero Dobrynyushka. Throughout Kyiv, fame spread about Dobrynya: he was stately, and tall, and learned to read and write, and was brave in battle, and cheerful at the feast. He will compose a song, play the harp, and say a clever word. And Dobrynya’s disposition is calm, affectionate, he will never say a rude word, he will never offend anyone in vain. No wonder they nicknamed him “quiet Dobrynyushka.”

Once on a hot summer day, Dobrynya wanted to swim in the river. He went to his mother Mamelfa Timofeevna:

“Let me go, mother, to go to the Puchai River and swim in the cold water, the summer heat has exhausted me.”

Mamelfa Timofeevna got excited and began to dissuade Dobrynya:

- My dear son Dobrynyushka, don’t go to the Puchai River. The river is furious and angry. From the first stream the fire shoots out, from the second stream sparks fall, from the third stream smoke pours out in a column.

“Okay, mother, at least let me go along the shore and get some fresh air.”

Mamelfa Timofeevna released Dobrynya.

Dobrynya put on a traveling dress, covered himself with a tall Greek hat, took with him a spear and a bow with arrows, a sharp saber and a whip.

He mounted a good horse, called a young servant with him and set off. Dobrynya drives for an hour or two, the summer sun is scorching hot, burning Dobrynya’s head. Dobrynya forgot what his mother was punishing him and returned his horse to the Puchai River.

The Puchai River brings coolness.

Dobrynya jumped off his horse and threw the reins to the young servant.

- You stay here, watch the horse.

He took off the Greek hat from his head, took off his traveling clothes, put all his weapons on his horse and rushed into the river.

Dobrynya floats along the Puchai River and is surprised:

- What did my mother tell me about the Puchai River? The Pooh-river is not fierce, The Pooh-river is quiet, like a rain puddle.

Before Dobrynya had time to speak, the sky suddenly darkened, but there were no clouds in the sky, and there was no rain, but thunder rumbled, and there was no thunderstorm, but the fire was shining...

Dobrynya raised his head and saw that the Serpent Gorynych was flying towards him, a terrible serpent with three heads and seven tails, flames blazing from his nostrils, smoke pouring out of his ears, copper claws on his paws glistening.

The Serpent saw Dobrynya and thundered:

- Eh, the old people prophesied that Dobrynya Nikitich would kill me, but Dobrynya himself came into my clutches. Now if I want, I’ll eat him alive; if I want, I’ll take him to my lair and take him prisoner. I have a lot of Russian people in captivity, only Dobrynya was missing.

- Oh, you damned snake, first take Dobrynya, and then show off, but for now Dobrynya is not in your hands.

Dobrynya knew how to swim well, he dived to the bottom, swam under the water, surfaced at the steep shore, jumped out onto the shore and rushed to his horse. And there was no trace of the horse: the young servant was frightened by the snake’s roar, jumped on the horse, and that was it. And he took away all Dobrynino’s weapons.

Dobrynya has nothing to fight with the Serpent Gorynych.

And the Serpent again flies to Dobrynya, showers with flammable sparks, and burns Dobrynya’s white body.

The heroic heart trembled.

Dobrynya looked at the shore - there was nothing to take into his hands: there was no club, no pebble, only yellow sand on the steep bank, and his Greek hat was lying around.

Dobrynya grabbed a Greek hat, poured no less than five pounds of yellow sand into it, and when he hit the Snake Gorynych with his hat, he knocked off his head.

He threw the Snake down to the ground, crushed his chest with his knees, and wanted to knock off two more heads...

How the Serpent Gorynych prayed here:

- Oh, Dobrynyushka, oh, hero, don’t kill me, let me fly around the world, I will always obey you. I will give you a great vow: not to fly to you in wide Rus', not to take Russian people prisoner. Just have mercy on me, Dobrynyushka, and don’t touch my little snakes.

Dobrynya succumbed to the crafty speech, believed the Serpent Gorynych, and let him go, the damned one.

As soon as the Serpent rose under the clouds, it immediately turned towards Kyiv and flew to the garden of Prince Vladimir. And at that time, young Zabava Putyatishna, Prince Vladimir’s niece, was walking in the garden. The Serpent saw the princess, was delighted, rushed at her from under the cloud, grabbed her in his copper claws and carried her to the Sorochinsky mountains.

At this time, Dobrynya found a servant and began to put on his traveling dress - suddenly the sky darkened and thunder roared. Dobrynya raised his head and saw: the Serpent Gorynych was flying from Kyiv, carrying Fun Putyatishna in his claws!

Then Dobrynya became sad - he became sad, he became depressed, he came home unhappy, sat down on a bench, and didn’t say a word.

His mother began to ask:

- Why are you sitting sadly, Dobrynyushka? What are you, my light, sad about?

“I’m not worried about anything, I’m not sad about anything, but it’s not fun for me to sit at home.” I’ll go to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir, he’s having a merry feast today.

“Don’t go, Dobrynyushka, to the prince, my heart senses evil.” We'll have a feast at home too.

Dobrynya did not listen to his mother and went to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir.

Dobrynya arrived in Kyiv and went to the prince’s upper room. At the feast, the tables are full of food, there are barrels of sweet honey, but the guests do not eat or drink, they sit with their heads down.

The prince walks around the upper room and does not treat guests. The princess covered herself with a veil and did not look at the guests.

Here Vladimir the Prince says:

- Oh, my beloved guests, we are having a sad feast! And the princess is bitter, and I am sad. The damned Serpent Gorynych took away our beloved niece, young Zabava Putyatishna. Which of you will go to Mount Sorochinskaya, find the princess, and free her?!

Where there! The guests hide behind each other, the big ones behind the middle ones, the middle ones behind the smaller ones, and the smaller ones hide behind their wings.

Suddenly the young hero Alyosha Popovich comes out from behind the table.

- That's what, Prince Red Sun, yesterday I was in an open field, I saw Dobrynyushka by the Puchai River. He fraternized with Zmey Gorynych and called him a smaller brother. You went to the Dobrynyushka the Serpent. He asks you for your beloved niece without a fight from your named brother.

Prince Vladimir got angry:

Pages: 1

Children's fairy tale: “About Dobrynya Nikitich and Snake Gorynych”

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About Dobrynya Nikitich and Zmey Gorynych
Once upon a time there lived a widow, Mamelfa Timofeevna, near Kiev. She had a beloved son - the hero Dobrynyushka. Throughout Kyiv, fame spread about Dobrynya: he was stately, and tall, and learned to read and write, and was brave in battle, and cheerful at the feast. He will compose a song, play the harp, and say a clever word. And Dobrynya’s disposition is calm and affectionate. He will not scold anyone, he will not offend anyone in vain. No wonder they nicknamed him “quiet Dobrynyushka.”
Once on a hot summer day, Dobrynya wanted to swim in the river. He went to his mother Mamelfa Timofeevna:
“Let me go, mother, to go to the Puchai River and swim in the cold water,” the summer heat has exhausted me.
Mamelfa Timofeevna got excited and began to dissuade Dobrynya:
- My dear son Dobrynyushka, don’t go to the Puchai River. The river is furious and angry. From the first stream the fire shoots out, from the second stream sparks fall, from the third stream smoke pours out in a column.
“Okay, mother, at least let me go along the shore and get some fresh air.”
Mamelfa Timofeevna released Dobrynya.
Dobrynya put on a traveling dress, covered himself with a tall Greek hat, took with him a spear and a bow with arrows, a sharp saber and a whip.
He mounted a good horse, called a young servant with him and set off. Dobrynya drives for an hour or two; The summer sun is scorching hot, burning Dobrynya’s head. Dobrynya forgot what his mother was punishing him and turned his horse towards the Puchai River.
The Puchai River brings coolness.
Dobrynya jumped off his horse and threw the reins to the young servant:
- You stay here, watch the horse.
He took off the Greek hat from his head, took off his traveling clothes, put all his weapons on his horse and rushed into the river. Dobrynya floats along the Puchai River and is surprised:
-What did my mother tell me about the Puchai River? The Pooh-river is not fierce, The Pooh-river is quiet, like a rain puddle.
Before Dobrynya had time to speak, the sky suddenly darkened, but there were no clouds in the sky, and there was no rain, but thunder rumbled, and there was no thunderstorm, but the fire was shining...
Dobrynya raised his head and saw that the Serpent Gorynych was flying towards him, a terrible serpent with three heads and seven tails, flames blazing from his nostrils, smoke pouring out of his ears, copper claws on his paws glistening.
The Serpent saw Dobrynya and thundered:
- Eh, the old people prophesied that Dobrynya Nikitich would kill me, but Dobrynya himself came into my clutches. Now if I want, I’ll devour him alive; if I want, I’ll take him to my lair and take him prisoner. I have a lot of Russian people in captivity, only Dobrynya was missing.
And Dobrynya says in a quiet voice:
- Oh, you damned snake, first take Dobrynya and then show off, but for now Dobrynya is not in your hands.
Dobrynya knew how to swim well; he dived to the bottom, swam under the water, surfaced near a steep shore, jumped out onto the shore and rushed to his horse. And there was no trace of the horse: the young servant was frightened by the snake’s roar, jumped on the horse, and that was it. And he took away all Dobrynino’s weapons. Do-brynya has nothing to fight with the Serpent Gorynych.
And the Serpent again flies to Dobrynya, showers with flammable sparks, and burns Dobrynya’s white body.
The heroic heart trembled.
Dobrynya looked at the shore - there was nothing to take into his hands: there was no club, no pebble, only yellow sand on the steep bank, and his Greek hat was lying around.
Dobrynya grabbed a Greek hat, poured no more or less yellow sand into it - five pounds, and how he hit the Snake Gorynych with his hat - and knocked off his head.
He threw the Snake down to the ground, crushed his chest with his knees, wanted to knock off two more heads... As the Snake Gorynych prayed here:
- Oh, Dobrynyushka, oh, hero, don’t kill me, let me fly around the world, I will always obey you! I will give you a great vow: not to fly to you in wide Rus', not to take Russian people prisoner. Just have mercy on me, Dobrynyushka, and don’t touch my little snakes.
Dobrynya succumbed to his crafty speech, believed the Serpent Gorynych, and let him go, damned.
As soon as the Serpent rose under the clouds, it immediately turned towards Kyiv and flew to the garden of Prince Vladimir. And at that time, young Zabava Putyatishna, Prince Vladimir’s niece, was walking in the garden.
The Serpent saw the princess, was delighted, rushed at her from under the cloud, grabbed her in his copper claws and carried her to the Sorochinsky mountains.
At this time, Dobrynya found a servant and began to put on his traveling dress - suddenly the sky darkened and thunder roared. Dobrynya raised his head and saw: the Serpent Gorynych was flying from Kyiv, carrying Fun Putyatishna in his claws!
Then Dobrynya became sad - he became sad, he became depressed, he came home unhappy, sat down on a bench, and didn’t say a word.
His mother began to ask:
- Why are you sitting sadly, Dobrynyushka? What are you, my light, sad about?
“I’m not worried about anything, I’m not sad about anything, but it’s not fun for me to sit at home.” I’ll go to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir, he’s having a fun feast today.
- Don’t go, Dobrynyushka, to the prince, my heart senses evil. We'll have a feast at home too.
Dobrynya did not listen to his mother and went to Kyiv to see Prince Vladimir.
Dobrynya arrived in Kyiv and went to the prince’s upper room. At the feast, the tables are full of food, there are barrels of sweet honey, but the guests do not eat or drink, they sit with their heads down.
The prince walks around the upper room and does not treat guests. The princess covered herself with a veil and did not look at the guests.
Here Vladimir the Prince says:
- Eh, my beloved guests, we are having a sad feast! And the princess is bitter, and I am sad. The damned Serpent Gorynych took away our beloved niece, young Zabava Pu-tyatishna. Which of you will go to Mount Sorochinskaya, find the princess, and free her?
Where there! The guests hide behind each other: the big ones behind the middle ones, the middle ones behind the smaller ones, and the smaller ones cover their mouths.
Suddenly the young hero Alyosha Popovich comes out from behind the table.
- That's what, Prince Red Sun, yesterday I was in an open field, I saw Dobrynyushka by the Puchai River. He fraternized with the Serpent of the Mountain and called him a smaller brother. You went to the Dobrynyushka the Serpent. He will ask your beloved niece from your sworn brother without a fight.
Prince Vladimir got angry:
- If so, get on your horse, Dobrynya, ride to Mount Sorochinskaya, get me my beloved niece. If you don’t get Putyatishna’s Fun, I’ll order you to cut off your head!
Dobrynya lowered his violent head, did not answer a word, got up from the table, mounted his horse and rode home.
Mother came out to meet him and saw that Dobrynya had no face.
- What’s wrong with you, Dobrynyushka, what’s wrong with you, son, what happened at the feast? Did they offend you or put you under a spell, or put you in a bad place?
“They didn’t offend me, and they didn’t put a spell around me, and I had a place according to my rank, according to my rank.”
- Why did you hang your head, Dobrynya?
- Prince Vladimir ordered me to perform a great service: to go to Mount Sorochinskaya, to find and get Zabava Putyatishna. And the Serpent Gorynych took away Zabava Putyatishna.
Mamelfa Timofeevna was horrified, but did not cry and be sad, but began to think about the matter.
- Go to bed, Dobrynyushka, go to sleep quickly, get some strength. The morning is wiser than the evening, tomorrow we will keep the advice.
Dobrynya went to bed. He sleeps, snores that the stream is noisy.
And Mamelfa Timofeevna does not go to bed, sits on a bench and spends the whole night weaving a seven-tailed whip from seven silks.
In the morning, Dobrynya Nikitich’s mother woke up:
- Get up, son, get dressed, get dressed, go to the old stable. In the third stall the door does not open; the oak door was beyond our strength. Push up, Dobrynyushka, open the door, there you will see your grandfather’s horse Burushka. Burka has been standing in a stall for fifteen years, uncared for. Clean him, feed him, give him something to drink, bring him to the porch.
Dobrynya went to the stable, tore the door off its hinges, brought Burushka out into the world, cleaned him, bathed him, and brought him to the porch.
He began to saddle Burushka. He put a sweatshirt on it, felt on top of the sweatshirt, then a Cherkassy saddle, embroidered with valuable silks and decorated with gold, tightened twelve girths, and bridled it with a golden bridle.
Mamelfa Timofeevna came out and handed him a seven-tailed whip:
“When you arrive, Dobrynya, on Mount Sorochinskaya, the Serpent Gorynych will not be at home.” Run your horse into the den and start trampling the baby snakes. The little snakes will wrap around Burka’s legs, and you will whip Burka between the ears with a whip. Burka will jump up, shake the baby snakes off his feet and trample every single one of them.
A branch broke off from the apple tree, an apple rolled away from the apple tree, a son was leaving his mother for a difficult, bloody battle.
Day after day passes like rain, and week after week passes like a river. Dobrynya is riding in the red sun, Dobrynya is riding in the bright moon, he went to Mount Sorochinskaya.
And on the mountain near the snake’s lair there are teeming with baby snakes. They began to wrap Burushka’s legs around her and began to undermine Burushka’s hooves. Burushka cannot gallop and falls to her knees. Dobrynya then remembered his mother’s order, grabbed the whip of seven silks, began to beat Burushka between the ears, and said:
- Jump, Burushka, jump, shake the baby snakes away from your feet.
Burushka gained strength from the whip, he began to jump high, throw stones a mile away, and began to shake baby snakes away from his feet. He beats them with his hoof and tears them with his teeth and tramples every single one of them.
Dobrynya got off his horse, took a sharp saber in his right hand, a heroic club in his left hand, and went to the snake caves. As soon as I took a step, the sky darkened, thunder roared, and the Serpent Gorynych flies, holding a dead body in his claws. Fire shoots from the mouth, smoke pours from the ears, copper claws burn like heat...
The Serpent saw Dobrynyushka, threw the dead body to the ground, and growled in a loud voice:
-Why, Dobrynya, did you break our vow and trample my cubs?
- Oh, you damned snake! Did I break our word, did I break our vow? Why did you fly, Snake, to Kyiv, why did you take away Zabava Putyatishna?! Give me the princess without a fight, so I will forgive you.
“I won’t give up Zabava Putyatishna, I’ll devour her, and I’ll devour you, and I’ll take all the Russian people!”
Dobrynya got angry and rushed at the Snake.
And then a fierce battle began.
The Sorochinsky Mountains crumbled, the oak trees were uprooted, the grass went a yard deep into the ground...
They fight for three days and three nights; The Snake began to overcome Dobrynya, began to throw him up, began to throw him up... Then Dobrynya remembered about the whip, grabbed it and started lashing the Snake between the ears. The serpent Gorynych fell to his knees, and Dobrynya pressed him to the ground with his left hand, and with his right hand he was lashing him with a whip. He beat and beat him with a silk whip, tamed him like a beast and cut off all his heads.
Black blood gushed from the Serpent, spread to the east and west, and flooded Dobrynya to the waist.
For three days Dobrynya stands in black blood, his legs are cold, the cold reaches his heart. The Russian land does not want to accept snake blood.
Dobrynya sees that the end has come for him, took out a whip of seven silks, began to whip the ground, saying:
- Make way, mother earth, and devour the blood of the snake.
The damp earth opened up and devoured the snake's blood.
Dobrynya Nikitich rested, washed, cleaned his heroic armor and went to the snake caves. All the caves are closed with copper doors, locked with iron bolts, and hung with golden locks.
Dobrynya broke the copper doors, tore off the locks and bolts, and entered the first cave. And there he sees kings and crown princes, kings and princes from forty lands, from forty countries, and ordinary warriors cannot be counted.
Dobrynyushka tells them:
- Hey, you, foreign kings, and foreign kings, and simple warriors! Go out into the free world, go to your places and remember the Russian hero. Without it, you would sit in snake captivity for a century.
They began to go free and bow to Dobrynya’s land:
- We will remember you forever, Russian hero!
And Dobrynya goes further, opens cave after cave, and frees captive people. Both old people and young women, young children and old women, Russian people and from foreign countries, come out into the world, but Putyatishna’s Fun is no longer there.
So Dobrynya went through eleven caves, and in the twelfth he found Zabava Putyatishna: the princess was hanging on a damp wall, chained by her hands with golden chains. Dobrynyushka tore off the chains, took the princess off the wall, picked her up, and carried her out of the cave into the open world...
And she stands on her feet, staggers, closes her eyes from the light, and doesn’t look at Dobrynya. Dobrynya laid her down on the green grass, fed her, gave her something to drink, covered her with a cloak, and lay down to rest.
The sun set in the evening, Dobrynya woke up, saddled Burushka and woke up the princess. Dobrynya mounted his horse, placed Zabava in front of him and set off. And there are no number of people around, everyone bows to Dobrynya, thanks for her salvation, and rushes to their lands.
Dobrynya rode out into the yellow steppe, spurred his horse and took Zabava Putyatishna to Kyiv.

Dobrynyushka was given birth to by her dear mother. She fed her white breasts and washed herself with spring water. Sometimes she would wash him, comb his hair, and cross him at night. Dobrynyushka grew by leaps and bounds. She sometimes sits and lulls him to sleep: “Sleep, my child, sleep, calm you down, when you grow up great, you will walk in gold.” So Dobrynyushka grew up.

He had already become a youth, got himself a heroic horse and heroic armor. It happened that he would get equipped and go to the wild steppe to wander. And Dobrynyushka’s mother ordered: “Don’t go, Dobrynyushka, far into the wild steppe, beyond the deep rivers, beyond the high, high Sorochinsky mountains.” But Dobrynyushka did not listen to his mother. He will take the Sorochinsky club and go to the wild steppe. Often he met enemies on the way, but they did not remain alive, they fell from his brave hand, from Sorochinsky’s baton. Once he was traveling across the steppe and the hero Franzil Venetian met him. And the other is a hero from rich India. He took them both in his hands, knocked them together and put them in a leather bag, tied them by a lasso, threw them on the saddle, sat on the good horse and rode off. He rode for a day, two, three, or maybe more. He sees another hero coming towards him and he hears a heroic voice:

- What, Dobrynya Nikitich, are we going to fight or make peace?

And Dobrynya answers:

- Fight.

And he answers:

- To fight is not to marry, to fight is to fight. Dobrynya Nikitich wrapped a long spear, raised it with the blunt end and hit the enemy in the chest. That hero fell from his horse. Dobrynya jumped up, took it and unfastened the armor on his chest, and saw women’s breasts. He then retreated. She says:

- Well, Dobrynya Nikitich, you did what you weren’t supposed to do. Now you must marry me. If you say, I won’t take it, I’ll hit you with my palm and squeeze you into an oatmeal pancake.

He looked into her face. She seemed to him more than white light and clear sun.

- Be you forever my wife, and I will be yours faithful husband. What should I call you, dignify you?

- I'm Vasilisa Savelyevna.

They gave each other their hands and the word that they would live inseparably for the rest of their lives and went to see Dobrynya Nikitich’s mother. We've arrived. Their dear mother accepted them as a dear son and a beloved daughter. And they lived for three years. And Dobrynya went again to shoot in the wild steppe. When he left, she went out into the wide yard to see him off. He gives her his hand, kisses it and says:

- Well, my dear wife, I’m going to the wild steppe, and you wait for me faithfully, if there is no news for three years, then marry whoever you want, just don’t marry my sworn brother Alyosha Popovich.

She answers him:

- Good time to you, good riddance to you. Go, dear, take a walk in the wild steppe, and if I don’t receive news, I’ll wait six years, I’ll take over for three years.

When Dobrynya drove off, she watched until he disappeared from her eyes. She stood there for a long, long time. Well, then I kept waiting for news, but there was no news. Three years have passed and still no news. Many suitors tried to get married and the matchmaker was Vladimir Krasno-Solnyshko, but she refused everyone, saying that she would not get married until she received news, heard that Dobrynya was no longer alive. Then Alyoshenka Popovich brings her a forged letter, as if he traveled through the wild steppe and saw the corpse of Dobrynya Nikitich, overgrown with grass and ants, and snakes made nests in his skull. And the horse walks through the steppe without an owner, and snakes bite his brushes. At this time, he proposed to her that he would marry her. She agreed, and they set up a proposal evening. And in two or three weeks there will be a wedding ceremony. They've had their first night out and are getting ready for the second.

And Dobrynya has laid out a linen tent, laid out a felt felt, has a Cherkassy saddle on his head and is sleeping in a heroic sleep. His good horse ran up to the tent, hit with his hoof, sparks fell from under the hoof and the whole earth trembled. Dobrynya woke up, left the room, and his good horse was snoring, moving his ears and eyes like a fierce beast.

- Why are you, my beloved master, sleeping and not knowing anything? Your beloved wife, Vasilisa Savelyevna, is marrying your sworn brother, Alyosha Popovich. There was a proposal evening, and soon there will be a wedding party.

And Dobrynya Nikitich asks:

- Good horse, will we be in time by this time?

“We’ll make it, just quickly get into the saddle and hold on to your sides with your spurs.”

Dobrynya sat on a good horse, and the horse soared higher than the standing forest, lower than the walking cloud. He threw his legs three miles at a time. Fast rivers let it run between my legs. As fast as you can, seven miles away! They arrived at that glorious city, where the newlywed party should be, late in the evening. Everyone has already gathered. There were a lot of people there. And Dobrynya bought himself a self-playing guslitsa and sat on the ward beam (there was nowhere to sit, all the benches were occupied). And at this feast there were many, many people, princes and boyars, rich merchants and peasants, men and the king and queen. The Tsar was the godfather, and the Tsarina was the matchmaker. And Dobrynya played self-plays on the harp there. He played so hard that the king himself stood up.

“Eh,” he says, young guslar, I’m giving you three places for your charming performance: one place next to me, another place opposite me, and the third – wherever you want.

And he took it and sat down opposite the young people. And at this time the bride took the tray and served it to everyone and said:
- Drink to the repose of Dobrynya Nikitich, and to the health of Alyosha Popovich.

When she began to serve Dobrynya Nikitich, he began to accept, and she saw hers on his hand. wedding ring. She took another glass, knocked it against Dobrynya Nikitich’s glass, raised it above her head and said:

- Now we will drink everything to the health of Dobrynya Nikitich!

And she moved to the other side of the table and stood next to him. And Dobrynya Nikitich pulled out a sharp saber and wanted to hit Alyosha Popovich. Come on, he says, the raven is out of place, and the falcon is in place.

I didn’t want to hit him because he wanted to get married, but because he brought a forged letter. And at that feast there was the glorious Russian hero Ilya Muromets. He came up, stood in the middle, spread his heroic arms two fathoms and said:

“It’s no honor, no glory for good fellows, Russian heroes, to fight among themselves.” We can agree peacefully and get married on good terms. We still have someone to fight. We have many enemies.

Then all the people and the tsar himself rejoiced that Dobrynya Nikitich was alive. And there was a feast for the whole world. And now they sing songs and tell fairy tales about it.