The turmoil was everywhere in the city. The Prince-governor set out on his journey. It was announced that he wants to visit neighboring cities and castles. Why? - it was not reported, and nobody wanted to ask superfluous questions. Though evil tongues already connected this hasty departure with the recent fire in the city slums. It was said that the Prince's soldiers burned the Wizard's house, and now the ruler fled the city, fearing revenge of the old magician, that he wants to find a defender among wizards or witches who will be stronger than this one. But people did not believe much the evil tongues. The townspeople loved their Prince and often were proud of him: only in their city the ruler was lucky, and kind, and young, and handsome at the same time. The neighboring Rulers were mostly old men and women.
Finally at dawn of a fine day, the Prince-governor left the city in the direction of the nearest town driving through the city from the palace to the main gate under the welcoming cries of citizens.
Witch of the Pale Hill was famous for her contentious and she knew about it. To be honest, most of these rumors she spread by herself, so that those who passed by were not going to visit her house. Her house was at the top of the Pale Hill and the Witch lived there alone, except for the Red Broom, the master of all trades and, incidentally, a very convenient means of transportation.
In fact, early the Witch was called a Fairy for all good things she did, but at the present time there was not so big demand for the good deeds, and the bad temper of the Witch has become known in the whole district. So the Fairy quietly became known as a Witch, and it didn’t disappoint her at all.
This morning Witch was busy cooking, that is, she was busy scolding Red Broom who mixed wrong ingredients in a wrong way. As a result banal salad really began to resemble a magical potion. In that particular mood the Prince found her when he rode up to the fence.
"Oh, What kind of people are here, and without any guards!” - the Witch greeted the Prince and immediately switched to the cooking process.
- "Hey, Red Broom!" - said the Witch - "I would like to know who will eat your potion? You will do it? You, a toothbrush for an elephant!"
The Red Broom continued to stir the dish uncomplainingly, and the Witch changed her anger to mercy:
-" Well, forgive me, Red-haired. It just came out…”
Prince descended from his horse and now patiently awaited the invitation. Finally, the Witch turned to him and asked not too hospitable:
- “What do you want!”
- “I need help!” - the Prince replied seriously, and, the Witch become serious very suddenly.
-“Help? And what about the old Carlo? He has ceased to help you?”
- “Yes…”
- “Fool!” - It sounded so unexpectedly to the Prince that he did not understand who this definition was to - to him or to the old Carlo. And when he raised his eyes to the Witch, intending to clarify what was meant, he saw how the Witch with a badass temper (a former Fairy) was sobbing, shaking her head and repeating: "Fool! Oh, Well, what a fool ...!" And quite obvious it was drawn to him - to the Prince.
In the yard of the witch a fire burned, the Witch and the Prince were sitting side by side on the low logs, and the Red Broom spilled a herbal decoction into clay cups. The Witch’s face was very tired. The Prince also looked tired, and not his face, but his eyes were somehow ... aged. Well, not aged, but early grown up for sure.
The Prince did not seem offended that the Witch called him “Fool!”, he simply continued to sit silently. He came with a question, he told everything and now waited for an answer. And he knew that the Witch of the Pale Hill mustn’t be interrupted, because if she spoke, she would say the matter.
"What do you want, Prince?" - suddenly asked the Witch quickly, and, not having time to really think, the Prince answered habitually:
- “Happiness.”
"Happiness ... Ah ..." - the witch said. "But the happiness that Carlo gave you is over. Whose happiness do you want now? Maybe mine, eh?”
"No," - the Prince looked reproachfully, "I want mine."
- “Oh, No,” - suddenly, as if to herself, the Witch objected. "You're both Fools." You and Carlo. Complete Fools!”
- Why? - Prince was surprised by such a change in the assessment of the situation.
- “He, because he, an old fool, decided to give you his happiness, and you - because you want your own happiness by killing someone else's. I'd like to know, what have you both thought about?”
"It's unfair," - protested the Prince, - “I did not know anything about it. I am not responsible for all this, I did not take such responsibility. It's all Carlo.
- “Oh,” - the Witch looked at the Prince hostilely, but the hostility was immediately replaced by pity, - “It turns out that you, yobbo, were deceived and, worse, robbed?
"But it's wrong,"- the Prince continued to persist. "Why did he decide everything for me? Why should I be responsible for what he did? Why did he do this? I did not ask! Do I now have to pay with my misfortune for his choice?”
-"That is what I think about: why did he do it?" - as if the Witch asked herself - “Did he know you badly?”
- "Why? Why "knew me badly?" The Prince was surprised at the illogicality. "So I say," - the Prince continued to insist, "I do not responsible for it, I need my own happiness!"
The Witch sighed heavily and suddenly looked straight at the Prince's face:
"And What about Him?"
There was a heavy silence.
"Don't say this, Witch," - the Prince said at last. "What do you want from me? That I returned him his happiness? So I do not have it. I have spent it… till the last drop. Or maybe he himself spent all his happiness as he wanted, how do I know. Why should I feel obligated? I do not owe him or anyone else. I want to live for myself. Look, he did not live for himself - and what happened? You cannot demand this from me.”
- “Yes ... “ - the witch once again vigorously confirmed her opinion, - “a Fool!”
"No," - said the Prince sharply. I'm not a fool. If I do not want to succumb to you and I think about my own, it does not mean that I'm a fool.
"Not you," - the witch nodded wearily. - “Carlo.”
She got up and quietly wandered into the house.
- “Wait,” - the Prince raised the voice, - “You will not achieve anything. You both will not achieve it! I do not want to bring happiness according to duty. I did not come for this. I came for MY happiness! I do not want...”
But the witch has already disappeared in the house. The bonfire went out. The darkness swallowed the Pale Hill.
The morning found the Prince in the same place. He knew how to be stubborn. Maybe he had somebody else's happiness, but persistence, certainly, was his own.
When the sun was already close to the zenith, a Witch appeared from the house and, without looking at Prince, went to the fire. The Red Broom flew out after the hostess and fussed over the breakfast.
- “Are you waiting?” - The witch finally gave her voice.
- “Yes.”
- “What are you waiting for?”
- "Tell me, Witch, if I do not have my own happiness, until I return someone else, then how can I return it to a person? Tell me, I'll do it. I decided so.”
The smile appeared on the Witch's tired face against her will. Not a mockery, not joy, but some kind of motherly tenderness stirred in her soul. And instead of the usual "Fool" the answer was different:
- “Eh, my silly boy.”
- “Oh, stop cursing!” - the Prince's voice sounded exactly, - “Tell me what I must do.”
"Oh, Prince," - the Witch settled on a log next to him. - "Do you want your own happiness? You ask what to do? Well, listen…”
The Witch's voice sounded hollow, and even the movements of the Red Broom began to be more careful.
"Carlo did not tell a lie to you, Prince. HAPPINESS CANNOT BE CONJURED! And now, listen, Prince, my truth: IT IS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND HAPPINESS! Do you understand me, my unintelligent friend?
The Prince was silent and looked at the Witch, tensely waiting for the continuation. And the Witch continued:
"Carlo knew that. A person can only be born with Happiness. Many are born with it - few save it till adulthood. I do not know your life: you either didn’t have it at all, or haven’t save it. BUT HAPPINESS CAN BE GIVEN as a present. And Carlo gave you HIS OWN Happiness. Yes, he Gave it to you. And now it is over. You did not save it, Prince.
The Prince's head sagged, and his voice quavered:
- And it's all? Nothing can be done?
The air was frozen for a moment, and there was a calm reply:
- “Well.., why can’t be done... Something Can be done. And Carlo knew this, too. Because he's not such a fool.
The Prince listened to the Witch, trying not to stir. Heavy clouds circled around the Pale Hill, and the fire burned brightly in the sunlight.
"Carlo is not a fool. He realized that you can still be happy, even if it is his happiness (you can see that he had a lot of Happiness, if he wanted to give it as a present). And if you were not so medieval stubborn braggart - you would have taken care of the happiness of the old man, and his happiness would become yours.”
And the Witch mimicked Prince’s voice: "paying for his choice "..."not my decision…”
“And you would not have to go that far.”
“But… that…,” - the Prince slowly picked up the words, -" it's somehow ... A bazaar: you give me, I give you. It is not right. It's unfair. "
"Well," - the Witch's voice sounded frankly sarcastic, - " you wanted to be happy. Or now you want justice? "
"But I do not want to…" - the Prince's words sounded almost indignant, - "I do not want to buy and pay! I want to decide who and what to give, who to bear happiness, whom to love. I want to choose myself! I do not want to be obligated.”
"I want," "I do not want to," - the Witch mimicked. "You want a lot of things…. "Fair", br-rr! People choose not by words, but by deeds. You lived with this Happiness, which now, after all, you do not want. You lived with it, and did not complain. And it's not about paying, you silly boy, but about MAINTAINING AND PRESERVING WHAT YOU HAVE, if that only bothers you.
"Why only this?"
"And what else…," - the Witch was mocking, but there was some bitterness in it, as if all this concerned her as well
- …"my choice", "I do not want".., "my decision"…, "I do not want duties, I want happiness" - these are your words? Well, where is here someone other than you? " - asked the Witch
“All right,” - the Prince shrugged his shoulders, showing that he was ready to defend himself, - “Yes, I'm worried about that. I'm like that. I like it. I want my own happiness, you hear, Witch, MY OWN. And not bought happiness. Let me have my own! Then I can give it. At least to Carlo, if you want so. So, will you tell me the answer for his sake? Or there’s no way!?”
“There is no limit to your generosity,” - the witch could not help but tickle. - “Why, there is a way. But it is not for you. You lack the spine .”
"And you try me! May be it will turn out that I can.”
"You???" - the Witch laughed, - “Ok, I will tell you. Anyway You cannot understand it.”
"You tell me, and then we'll see."
“Ok. But if you interrupt, blame yourself.”
Prince nodded silently, and the Witch finally looked at him approvingly.
"Listen, Prince. Happiness of Carlo - is your happiness also. While he is happy, you are happy. I hope this reached your grandiose brains even through the veil of your donkey stubbornness. Listen further. You're right, simple care of old Carlo is providing for yourself, purchasing, as you say. I do not know why this does not suit you, hundreds of people couldn’t even dream of such a thing. Where else one can find such a fool who will present his happiness? But if you succeed to give him MORE, much more, than even the most generous payment, more than he himself once dreamed, much more than everything he did for you, and give it all to him AT ONE TIME ... (I do not know how to do it, I warn you right away!)… but if you succeed - be silent I said that I do not know how, but - this is the key to everything - it needs to be done in a moment, well, maybe in one day, in one year.It should be something that will immediately give him much more happiness than what he gave you! Then all this will become Your happiness, it will be what you did.
You did want this, didn’t you? Only, here is a trouble, it will be the happiness given by you, Prince. Do you need such happiness - which cannot be appropriated, and you can only give it? Are you silent? Correctly. Not every Wizard and not every Witch can understand this. And ... no, Prince, I do not know what exactly you need to do. And, I confess, I do not really believe that you can do this. Because, whatever it is, it would be a miracle. Do you believe in miracles, Prince? I'm not!”
“How is it?” - such a statement from the mouth of the Witch was somehow very unexpected for the Prince, and he did open his mouth. Do not witches conjure?"
“Ah…” - the Witch sadly grinned, - “this is nothing but tricks! Here is Carlo, he knew how to do it. And I ..., my business are tricks.”
***
Not far from the city where the Prince ruled, two people sat on the forest edge and talked. One was older, in an old cloak. And although his hair was not disheveled, but lay well-groomed, the Witch recognized the Wizard. The second one was the Prince. That’s true, his face did not have a familiar stubborn mask, the features were soft, and his eyes were just kind, but it was the Prince, and the Witch smiled softly at him, not being afraid that they’ll see her.
She did not know what they were talking about, but in the face of the Wizard was no mortal melancholy that was recently all the time on his face. And what’s more the Prince kept holding the old man's hands with both his own hands, carefully and very gently.
Two of them talked. And, looking at them in the flames of the fire on Pale Hill, the Witch cried. She was not afraid that they would see her, and tears quickly rolled one after the other from her eyes.
-“What a Fool I am,” - she repeated in a whisper, and listened to this whisper herself. And her lips repeated the same thing again and again, - “What a Fool I am, complete Fool”.
The Witch knew that her lips were whispering the truth. Because she, who has seen many things and many people, laughed at the strong, brave and terrible, poked many nerds into their own stupidity, she the old Witch, did the greatest foolishness that can only be done in life.
She gave them her own happiness.
She gave her happiness to those two who were sitting on the edge of the forest. The Witch was not ashamed of her tears. Tears rolled noiselessly, only shuddered her sharp shoulders under shawl. The Witch of Pale Hill was going to cry for a long time. She had the right to do so, like no other. And she weeped... She weeped about herself.
read the beginning of the story
2 part
