The Horse

Author's Note:

The stepmother is one of the antagonists in traditional folktales. The story of "The Horse," which we are quoting from the book Northern Folktales, is one such tale. Other versions of this story exist and have been recorded elsewhere. The prose in The Horse is simple.

In ancient times, there was a ruler. One day, the ruler's wife passed away, and his young son became deeply sorrowful. To lift his son's spirits and alleviate his loneliness, the ruler bought him a small, beautiful horse. Over time, the boy grew close to the horse and began to forget the grief of his mother’s death.

Once the ruler was assured that his son was doing better, he remarried. The ruler's new wife outwardly treated the boy with kindness but secretly harbored animosity toward him.

A few years passed, and the stepmother began searching for an opportunity to get rid of the boy. One day, she poisoned his food. When the boy returned home from school, he immediately went to his horse and noticed that it seemed distressed. He asked the horse what was wrong. The horse told him that his stepmother had poisoned his food. The boy didn’t eat the food.

This continued for three days. The stepmother realized that the horse was warning the boy. She went to a healer, gave him some jewels, and said: “I’ll pretend to be sick. When the ruler calls you to check on me, tell him that the only cure for my illness is the liver of the boy’s horse.”

She returned home and feigned illness. When the healer was called, he told the ruler exactly what the stepmother had instructed. The ruler decided to kill his son’s horse and give its liver to his wife.

The horse warned the boy about the plan. The boy said, “When they come to kill you, neigh three times. I’ll arrive by the third neigh.” The stepmother had already told the schoolmaster to ensure the boy wouldn’t be allowed to leave school.

While the boy was at school, he heard the horse’s first neigh and asked the schoolmaster for permission to leave. The master refused. When he heard the second neigh, he asked again, but the master still wouldn’t allow it. Upon hearing the third neigh, the boy threw a handful of ashes into the schoolmaster’s eyes and ran away.

He arrived home just as they were about to kill the horse. The boy said, “If you’re going to kill the horse, let me ride it one last time.” He mounted the horse, and together they vanished.

The boy ended up in another land, where he became an apprentice to a pastry chef. From there, he wrote a letter to his father explaining everything that had happened. When the ruler learned the truth, he executed the stepmother and brought his son and the horse back to live with him.

در زمان‌های قدیم حاکمی بود، روزی زن حاکم مرد و پسر کوچک او خیلی غصه دار شد. حاکم برای اینکه او را از تنهایی و ناراحتی در آورد، اسب کوچک و قشنگی برایش خرید. پسر کم کم با این اسب دوست شد و غم مرگ مادرش را از یاد برد. حاکم پس از اینکه خیالش از پسر راحت شد، زن گرفت. زن جدید حاکم در ظاهر با پسر خوب و مهربان بود ولی در باطن دشمن او بود. چند سالی گذشت. نامادری دنبال فرصتی می‌گشت تا پسر را از میان بردارد. روزی در غذای پسر سم ریخت. پسر از مکتبخانه که برگشت یک راست رفت سراغ اسبش و دید اسب ناراحت است. علت را پرسید. اسب گفت که نامادری در غذای او سم ریخته. پسر غذا را نخورد. این کار سه روز تکرار شد. نامادری فهمید که اسب به پسر خبر می‌دهد. پیش حکیم رفت و مقداری جواهر به او داد و گفت: «من خود را به مریضی می‌زنم. وقتی به بالینم آمدی، به حاکم بگو دوای درد این مریض جگر اسب است.» بعد به خانه برگشت و خود را به مریضی زد. حکیم همین را به حاکم گفت. حاکم تصمیم گرفت اسب پسر را بکشد و جگرش را به زن بدهد. اسب ماجرا را به پسر گفت. پسر گفت: «هر وقت خواستن تو را بکشند سه تا شیهه بکش. شیههٔ سوم من حاضر می‌شوم.» نامادری به ملا سپرده بود که پسر اجازه ندهد از مکتب بیرون بیاید. پسر در مکتب نشسته بود که شیههٔ اول را شنید. از ملا اجازه خواست که بیرون برود. ملا نداد. شیههٔ دوم اسب را شنید، اجازه خواست. ملا نداد. شیههٔ سوم، پسر یک مشت خاکستر در چشم ملا ریخت و فرار کرد. به خانه آمد و دید اسب را می‌خواهند بکشند. گفت: «حالا که می‌خواهید اسب را بکشید بگذارید یک بار دیگر سوار آن بشوم.» سوار اسب شد و به همراه اسب ناپدید شدند. پسر در سرزمین دیگری شاگرد یک شیرینی فروش شد. از آن‌جا به پدرش نامه نوشت و همهٔ ماجرا را تعریف کرد. حاکم وقتی ماجرا را فهمید نامادری را کشت و پسر و اسب را به نزد خود بازگرداند.