Two brothers were traveling: one poor, the other rich. Both have horses - the poor mare, the rich gelding. They stopped for the night nearby. The poor mare brought a foal at night; the foal rolled under the rich man's cart. He wakes up the poor in the morning:
- Get up, brother! My cart gave birth to a foal at night. The brother stands up and says:
- How can a cart give birth to a foal? This is my mare brought.
Rich says:
- If your mare brought, the foal would be near!
They argued and went to the authorities. The rich gave the judges money, and the poor justified themselves with words. It came down to the king himself.
He ordered to call both brothers and asked them four riddles:
What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest thing in the world? What is the softest thing? And what's the sweetest thing?
And he gave them a period of three days:
- Come on the fourth, give the answer!
The rich man thought and thought, remembered his godfather and went to her to ask for advice. She put him at the table, began to treat him, and she herself asks: 
- Why so sad, kumanyok?
- Yes, the sovereign asked me four riddles, and set a deadline of only three days.
- What is it, tell me.
- And that's what, godfather! The first riddle: what is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?
- What a riddle! My husband has a brown mare; no faster! If you hit with a whip, the hare will catch up.
- The second riddle: what is fatter in the world?
- We have another year, the pockmarked hog feeds; He became so fat that he could not rise to his feet!
- The third riddle: what is the softest thing in the world?
- A well-known case - a down jacket, you can’t imagine softer!
- The fourth riddle: what is the cutest thing in the world?
- The sweetest of all granddaughters is Ivanushka!
- Well, thank you, godfather! I taught the mind-reason, I will not forget you for a century.
And the poor brother burst into bitter tears and went home. Meets his seven-year-old daughter:
- What are you, father, sighing and shedding tears?
- How can I not sigh, how can I not shed tears? The king gave me four riddles that I will never solve in my life.
- Tell me what riddles.
- But what, daughter: what is the strongest and fastest in the world, what is the fattest, what is the softest and what is the cutest?
- Go, father, and tell the king: the wind is the strongest and fastest, the earth is the fattest: whatever grows, whatever lives, the earth nourishes! The hand is the softest of all: no matter what a person lies on, he puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter than sleep!
Both brothers came to the king - both the rich and the poor. The king listened to them and asked the poor:
- Did you come by yourself or who taught you? The poor man answers:
- Your Royal Majesty! I have a seven-year-old daughter, she taught me.
- When your daughter is wise, here is a silk thread for her; let him weave a patterned towel for me in the morning. 
The man took a silk thread, comes home sad and sad.
- Our trouble! - says the daughter. - The king ordered to weave a towel from this thread. - Do not twist, father! - answered the seven-year-old, broke off a twig from a broom, gives it to her father and punishes:
- Go to the king, tell him to find such a master who would make a cross from this twig: there would be something to weave a towel on!
The man reported this to the king. The king gives him a hundred and fifty eggs.
- Give, - he says, - to your daughter; let him bring me a hundred and fifty chickens by tomorrow.
The peasant returned home even more abruptly, even sadder:
- Oh, daughter! You will dodge one trouble - another will be imposed! 
- Do not twist, father! - answered the seven-year-old. She baked eggs and hid them for lunch and dinner, and her father
sends to the king:
- Tell him that the chickens need one-day millet for food: in one day the field would be plowed, millet sown, harvested and threshed. Our chickens will not peck at another millet.
The king listened and said:
- When your daughter is wise, let her come to me in the morning, neither on foot, nor on a horse, nor naked, nor dressed, nor with a present, nor without a present.
“Well,” the peasant thinks, “even a daughter will not solve such a cunning problem; it’s about to disappear!”
- Do not twist, father! - the seven-year-old daughter told him. - Go to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail. Her father went and bought her a hare and a quail. The next day, in the morning, the seven-year-old threw off all her clothes, put on a net, took a quail in her hands, mounted a hare and rode to the palace. The king meets her at the gate.
She bowed to the king.
- Here's a present for you, sir! - and gives him a quail.
The king stretched out his hand, the quail - fluttered - and flew away!
- Well, - says the king, - as ordered, so done. Tell me now: after all, your father is poor, what do you feed on?
- My father catches fish on a dry shore, he doesn’t set traps in the water, but I wear fish in my hem and cook my fish soup.
- What are you, stupid, when the fish is on a dry shore 
lives? Fish swim in the water!
- Are you smart? When has it been seen that a cart has brought a foal?
The king ordered that the foal be given to the poor peasant, and his daughter was taken to live with him. When the seven-year-old grew up, he married her, and she became queen.
- END -
Russian folk tale.
Illustrations: Sazonova T.P. and Prytkov Yu.A.
Two brothers were traveling: one poor, the other rich. Both have a horse - the poor mare, the rich gelding. They stopped for the night nearby. The poor mare brought a foal at night; the foal rolled under the rich man's cart. He wakes up the poor in the morning:
- Get up, brother! My cart gave birth to a foal at night.
The brother stands up and says:
- How can a cart give birth to a foal? This is my mare brought. Rich says:
- If your mare brought, the foal would be near her!
They argued and went to the authorities. The rich gave the judges money, and the poor justified themselves with words.
It came down to the king himself. He ordered to call both brothers and asked them four riddles:
What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest thing in the world? What is the softest thing? And what's the sweetest thing? And he gave them a period of three days:
- Come to the fourth, give the answer!
The rich man thought and thought, remembered his godfather and went to her to ask for advice.
She put him at the table, began to treat him, and she herself asks:
- Why so sad, kumanek?
- Yes, the sovereign asked me four riddles, and set a deadline of only three days.
- What is it, tell me.
- And that's what, godfather! The first riddle: what is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?
- What a mystery! My husband has a brown mare; no faster! If you hit with a whip, the hare will catch up.
- The second riddle: what is fatter in the world?
- We have another year, the pockmarked boar feeds; He became so fat that he could not rise to his feet!
- The third riddle: what is the softest thing in the world?
- A well-known case - a down jacket, you can’t imagine softer!
- The fourth riddle: what is the cutest thing in the world?
- The sweetest of all granddaughters is Ivanushka!
- Well, thank you, godfather! I taught the mind, I will not forget you forever.
And the poor brother burst into bitter tears and went home. Meets his seven-year-old daughter:
- What are you, father, sighing and shedding tears?
How can I not sigh, how can I not shed tears? The king gave me four riddles that I will never solve in my life.
Tell me what riddles.
- But what, daughter: what is stronger and faster than everything in the world, what is fatter, what is softer and what is cutest of all?
- Go, father, and tell the king: the strongest and fastest of all is the wind, the fattest of all is the earth: whatever grows, whatever lives, the earth nourishes! The softest of all is the hand: on which a person does not lie down, but puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter than sleep!
Both brothers came to the king, both the rich and the poor. The king listened to them and asked the poor:
Did you come by yourself or who taught you? The poor man answers:
"Your Royal Majesty!" I have a seven-year-old daughter, she taught me.
- When your daughter is wise, here is a silk thread for her; let him weave a patterned towel for me in the morning.
The peasant took a silk thread, comes home sad and sad.
- Our trouble! daughters says. - The king ordered to weave a towel from this thread.
- Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old; she broke off a twig from a broom, gives it to her father and punishes: - Go to the king, tell him to find the master who would make a cross from this twig: it would be something to weave a towel on!
The man reported this to the king. The king gives him a hundred and fifty eggs.
“Give it back,” he says, “to your daughter; let him bring me a hundred and fifty chickens by tomorrow.
The peasant returned home even more abruptly, even sadder:
- Oh, daughter! From one misfortune you will dodge - another will be imposed!
- Don't freak out, daddy! answered the seven year old. She baked eggs and hid them for lunch and dinner, and sends her father to the king:
“Tell him that chickens need one-day millet for food: in one day the field would be plowed, and millet sown, harvested and threshed. Our chickens will not peck at another millet.
The king listened and said:
- When your daughter is wise, let her come to me in the morning - not on foot, not on a horse, not naked, not dressed, not with a present, not without a gift.
“Well,” the peasant thinks, “even a daughter will not solve such a cunning problem; it’s about to disappear!”
- Don't freak out, daddy! said his seven-year-old daughter. - Go to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail.
Her father went and bought her a hare and a quail.
The next day, in the morning, the seven-year-old threw off all her clothes, put on a net, and took a quail in her hands, mounted a hare and rode to the palace.
The king meets her at the gate. She bowed to the king.
"Here's a present for you, sir!" - and gives him a quail.
The king stretched out his hand, the quail fluttered - and flew away!
- Well, - says the king, - as ordered, so it is done. Tell me now: after all, your father is poor, what do you feed on?
- My father catches fish on a dry shore, he doesn’t set traps in the water, but I wear fish in my hem and cook my fish soup.
- What are you, stupid, when the fish lives on a dry shore? Fish swim in the water!
- And you're smart! When has it been seen that a cart of a colt has been brought?
The king ordered that the foal be given to the poor peasant, and his daughter was taken to live with him. When the seven-year-old grew up, he married her, and she became queen.
Two brothers were traveling: one poor, the other rich. Both have a horse - the poor mare, the rich gelding. They stopped for the night nearby. The poor mare brought a foal at night; the foal rolled under the rich man's cart. He wakes up the poor in the morning:
- Get up, brother! My cart gave birth to a foal at night.
The brother stands up and says:
- How can a cart give birth to a foal? This is my mare brought. Rich says:
- If your mare brought, the foal would be near her!
They argued and went to the authorities. The rich gave the judges money, and the poor justified themselves with words.
It came down to the king himself. He ordered to call both brothers and asked them four riddles:
What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest thing in the world? What is the softest thing? And what's the sweetest thing? And he gave them a period of three days:
- Come to the fourth, give the answer!
The rich man thought and thought, remembered his godfather and went to her to ask for advice.
She put him at the table, began to treat him, and she herself asks:
- Why so sad, kumanek?
- Yes, the sovereign asked me four riddles, and set a deadline of only three days.
- What is it, tell me.
- And that's what, godfather! The first riddle: what is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?
- What a mystery! My husband has a brown mare; no faster! If you hit with a whip, the hare will catch up.
- The second riddle: what is fatter in the world?
- We have another year, the pockmarked boar feeds; He became so fat that he could not rise to his feet!
- The third riddle: what is the softest thing in the world?
- A well-known case - a down jacket, you can’t imagine softer!
- The fourth riddle: what is the cutest thing in the world?
- The sweetest of all granddaughters is Ivanushka!
- Well, thank you, godfather! I taught the mind, I will not forget you forever.
And the poor brother burst into bitter tears and went home. Meets his seven-year-old daughter:
- What are you, father, sighing and shedding tears?
How can I not sigh, how can I not shed tears? The king gave me four riddles that I will never solve in my life.
Tell me what riddles.
- But what, daughter: what is stronger and faster than everything in the world, what is fatter, what is softer and what is cutest of all?
- Go, father, and tell the king: the strongest and fastest of all is the wind, the fattest of all is the earth: whatever grows, whatever lives, the earth nourishes! The softest of all is the hand: on which a person does not lie down, but puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter than sleep!
Both brothers came to the king, both the rich and the poor. The king listened to them and asked the poor:
Did you come by yourself or who taught you? The poor man answers:
"Your Royal Majesty!" I have a seven-year-old daughter, she taught me.
- When your daughter is wise, here is a silk thread for her; let him weave a patterned towel for me in the morning.
The peasant took a silk thread, comes home sad and sad.
- Our trouble! daughters says. - The king ordered to weave a towel from this thread.
- Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old; she broke off a twig from a broom, gives it to her father and punishes: - Go to the king, tell him to find the master who would make a cross from this twig: it would be something to weave a towel on!
The man reported this to the king. The king gives him a hundred and fifty eggs.
“Give it back,” he says, “to your daughter; let him bring me a hundred and fifty chickens by tomorrow.
The peasant returned home even more abruptly, even sadder:
- Oh, daughter! From one misfortune you will dodge - another will be imposed!
- Don't freak out, daddy! answered the seven year old. She baked eggs and hid them for lunch and dinner, and sends her father to the king:
“Tell him that chickens need one-day millet for food: in one day the field would be plowed, and millet sown, harvested and threshed. Our chickens will not peck at another millet.
The king listened and said:
- When your daughter is wise, let her come to me in the morning - not on foot, not on a horse, not naked, not dressed, not with a present, not without a gift.
“Well,” the peasant thinks, “even a daughter will not solve such a cunning problem; it’s about to disappear!”
- Don't freak out, daddy! said his seven-year-old daughter. - Go to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail.
Her father went and bought her a hare and a quail.
The next day, in the morning, the seven-year-old threw off all her clothes, put on a net, and took a quail in her hands, mounted a hare and rode to the palace.
The king meets her at the gate. She bowed to the king.
"Here's a present for you, sir!" - and gives him a quail.
The king stretched out his hand, the quail fluttered - and flew away!
- Well, - says the king, - as ordered, so it is done. Tell me now: after all, your father is poor, what do you feed on?
- My father catches fish on a dry shore, he doesn’t set traps in the water, but I wear fish in my hem and cook my fish soup.
- What are you, stupid, when the fish lives on a dry shore? Fish swim in the water!
- And you're smart! When has it been seen that a cart of a colt has been brought?
The king ordered that the foal be given to the poor peasant, and his daughter was taken to live with him. When the seven-year-old grew up, he married her, and she became queen.
Two brothers were traveling: one poor, the other rich. Both have horses - the poor mare, the rich gelding. They stopped for the night nearby. The poor mare brought a foal at night; the foal rolled under the rich man's cart. He wakes up the poor in the morning:
Get up brother! My cart gave birth to a foal at night.
The brother stands up and says:
How can a cart give birth to a foal? This is my mare brought. Rich says:
If your mare brought, the foal would be near her!
They argued and went to the authorities. The rich gave the judges money, and the poor justified themselves with words.
It came down to the king himself. He ordered to call both brothers and asked them four riddles:
What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest thing in the world? What is the softest thing? And what's the sweetest thing? And he gave them a period of three days:
Come to the fourth, give the answer!
The rich man thought and thought, remembered his godfather and went to her to ask for advice.
She put him at the table, began to treat him, and she herself asks:
What is so sad, kumanek?
Yes, the sovereign asked me four riddles, and set a deadline of only three days.
What is it, tell me.
But what, godfather! The first riddle: what is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?
What a riddle! My husband has a brown mare; no faster! If you hit with a whip, the hare will catch up.
The second riddle: what is fatter in the world?
We have another year the pockmarked hog feeds; He became so fat that he could not rise to his feet!
The third riddle: what is the softest thing in the world?
A well-known case is a down jacket, you can’t imagine softer!
The fourth riddle: what is the sweetest thing in the world?
Dearest of all granddaughters Ivanushka!
Well, thank you, godfather! I taught the mind, I will not forget you forever.
And the poor brother burst into bitter tears and went home. Meets his seven-year-old daughter:
What are you sighing about, father, and shedding tears?
How can I not sigh, how can I not shed tears? The king gave me four riddles that I will never solve in my life.
Tell me what riddles.
But what, daughter: what is stronger and faster than anything in the world, what is fatter, what is softer and what is cutest of all?
Go, father, and tell the king: the strongest and fastest is the wind, the fattest is the earth: whatever grows, whatever lives, the earth nourishes! The softest of all is the hand: on which a person does not lie down, but puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter than sleep!
Both brothers came to the king - both the rich and the poor. The king listened to them and asked the poor:
Did you come by yourself or who taught you? The poor man answers:
Your royal majesty! I have a seven-year-old daughter, she taught me.
When your daughter is wise, here is a silk thread for her; let him weave a patterned towel for me in the morning.
The peasant took a silk thread, comes home sad and sad.
Our trouble! - says the daughter. - The king ordered to weave a towel from this thread.
Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old; she broke off a twig from a broom, gives it to her father and punishes: - Go to the king, tell him to find the master who would make a cross from this twig: it would be something to weave a towel on!
The man reported this to the king. The king gives him a hundred and fifty eggs.
Give, he says, to your daughter; let him bring me a hundred and fifty chickens by tomorrow.
The peasant returned home even more abruptly, even sadder:
Ah, daughter! You will dodge one trouble - another will be imposed!
Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old. She baked eggs and hid them for lunch and dinner, and sends her father to the king:
Tell him that the chickens need one-day millet for food: in one day the field would be plowed, and millet sown, harvested and threshed. Our chickens will not peck at another millet.
The king listened and said:
When your daughter is wise, let her come to me in the morning - neither on foot, nor on a horse, nor naked, nor dressed, nor with a gift, nor without a present.
“Well,” the peasant thinks, “even a daughter will not solve such a cunning problem; it’s about to disappear!”
Don't freak out, daddy! - the seven-year-old daughter told him. - Go to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail.
Her father went and bought her a hare and a quail.
The next day, in the morning, the seven-year-old threw off all her clothes, put on a net, and took a quail in her hands, mounted a hare and rode to the palace.
The king meets her at the gate. She bowed to the king.
Here's a present for you, sir! - and gives him a quail.
The king stretched out his hand, the quail fluttered - and flew away!
Well, - says the king, - as ordered, so done. Tell me now: after all, your father is poor, what do you feed on?
My father catches fish on a dry shore, he doesn’t set traps in the water, but I wear fish under my hem and cook my fish soup.
What are you, stupid, when a fish lives on a dry shore? Fish swim in the water!
And you are smart! When has it been seen that a cart of a colt has been brought?
The king ordered that the foal be given to the poor peasant, and his daughter was taken to live with him. When the seven-year-old grew up, he married her, and she became queen.
Russian folk tale Seven-year-old daughter
Two brothers were traveling: one poor, the other rich. Both have horses - the poor mare, the rich gelding. They stopped for the night nearby. The poor mare brought a foal at night; the foal rolled under the rich man's cart. He wakes up the poor in the morning:
Get up brother! My cart gave birth to a foal at night.
The brother stands up and says:
How can a cart give birth to a foal? This is my mare brought. Rich says:
If your mare brought, the foal would be near her!
They argued and went to the authorities. The rich gave the judges money, and the poor justified themselves with words.
It came down to the king himself. He ordered to call both brothers and asked them four riddles:
What is the strongest and fastest thing in the world? What is the fattest thing in the world? What is the softest thing? And what's the sweetest thing? And he gave them a period of three days:
Come to the fourth, give the answer!
The rich man thought and thought, remembered his godfather and went to her to ask for advice.
She put him at the table, began to treat him, and she herself asks:
What is so sad, kumanek?
Yes, the sovereign asked me four riddles, and set a deadline of only three days.
What is it, tell me.
But what, godfather! The first riddle: what is the strongest and fastest thing in the world?
What a riddle! My husband has a brown mare; no faster! If you hit with a whip, the hare will catch up.
The second riddle: what is fatter in the world?
We have another year the pockmarked hog feeds; He became so fat that he could not rise to his feet!
The third riddle: what is the softest thing in the world?
A well-known case is a down jacket, you can’t imagine softer!
The fourth riddle: what is the sweetest thing in the world?
Dearest of all granddaughters Ivanushka!
Well, thank you, godfather! I taught the mind, I will not forget you forever.
And the poor brother burst into bitter tears and went home. Meets his seven-year-old daughter:
What are you sighing about, father, and shedding tears?
How can I not sigh, how can I not shed tears? The king gave me four riddles that I will never solve in my life.
Tell me what riddles.
But what, daughter: what is stronger and faster than anything in the world, what is fatter, what is softer and what is cutest of all?
Go, father, and tell the king: the strongest and fastest is the wind, the fattest is the earth: whatever grows, whatever lives, the earth nourishes! The softest of all is the hand: on which a person does not lie down, but puts his hand under his head; and there is nothing sweeter than sleep!
Both brothers came to the king - both the rich and the poor. The king listened to them and asked the poor:
Did you come by yourself or who taught you? The poor man answers:
Your royal majesty! I have a seven-year-old daughter, she taught me.
When your daughter is wise, here is a silk thread for her; let him weave a patterned towel for me in the morning.
The peasant took a silk thread, comes home sad and sad.
Our trouble! - says the daughter. - The king ordered to weave a towel from this thread.
Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old; she broke off a twig from a broom, gives it to her father and punishes: - Go to the king, tell him to find the master who would make a cross from this twig: it would be something to weave a towel on!
The man reported this to the king. The king gives him a hundred and fifty eggs.
Give, he says, to your daughter; let him bring me a hundred and fifty chickens by tomorrow.
The peasant returned home even more abruptly, even sadder:
Ah, daughter! You will dodge one trouble - another will be imposed!
Don't freak out, daddy! - answered the seven-year-old. She baked eggs and hid them for lunch and dinner, and sends her father to the king:
Tell him that the chickens need one-day millet for food: in one day the field would be plowed, and millet sown, harvested and threshed. Our chickens will not peck at another millet.
The king listened and said:
When your daughter is wise, let her come to me in the morning - neither on foot, nor on a horse, nor naked, nor dressed, nor with a gift, nor without a present.
“Well,” the peasant thinks, “even a daughter will not solve such a cunning problem; it’s time to disappear completely!”
Don't freak out, daddy! - the seven-year-old daughter told him. - Go to the hunters and buy me a live hare and a live quail.
Her father went and bought her a hare and a quail.
The next day, in the morning, the seven-year-old threw off all her clothes, put on a net, and took a quail in her hands, mounted a hare and rode to the palace.
The king meets her at the gate. She bowed to the king.
Here's a present for you, sir! - and gives him a quail.
The king stretched out his hand, the quail fluttered - and flew away!
Well, - says the king, - as ordered, so done. Tell me now: after all, your father is poor, what do you feed on?
My father catches fish on a dry shore, he doesn’t set traps in the water, but I wear fish under my hem and cook my fish soup.
What are you, stupid, when a fish lives on a dry shore? Fish swim in the water!
And you are smart! When has it been seen that a cart of a colt has been brought?
The king ordered that the foal be given to the poor peasant, and his daughter was taken to live with him. When the seven-year-old grew up, he married her, and she became queen.
